


The Lab Assistant: Welcome to the Bionic Academy

by Kihonne



Series: Heroes in the Making: An Elite Force [6]
Category: Lab Rats (TV 2012)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Bionic Superhumans, F/M, Family, Friendship, Romance, Season/Series 04, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 21:30:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 247,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18374441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kihonne/pseuds/Kihonne
Summary: When Donald Davenport opens the doors of the first ever Bionic Academy, Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo, Calla, and Jaden must adapt to brand new roles at this school for bionic heroes. With new faces, both friendly and otherwise, and new challenges, can they figure out how to handle these new responsibilities? Based off of the original episodes of Lab Rats: Season Four, but will include other stuff as well.





	1. First Day at the Bionic Academy

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own lab rats, or anything from the original TV show. I only own this story, Calla, Jaden, any other OCs present, and anything else you don't recognize.

** Leo's POV **

I couldn't believe it! Today was the grand opening of the Bionic Academy, and despite the fact that it was a pretty big change for everyone, we were all pretty excited. Even Bree, who usually didn't care about anything before eight a.m., wasn't able to stop herself from staring out the window in wonder as the ocean floor passed us by.

"This is going to be awesome." Calla grinned from her spot next to Chase. I was surprised to see her, actually. I didn't think her mom would agree to this, but she'd shown up at our house at six this morning with a bag and a coffee, clearly impatient for this thing to start.

Suddenly, the hydroloop slowed to a stop, the doors opening into fairly large area. We unbuckled our seatbelts and filed out, looking around at the scene before us. The room was pretty cool, half of it reserved for the hydroloop while the other looked like a sort of lounge area with a large window on the western wall. "Welcome to the Davenport Bionic Academy." Big D declared, getting up from one of the seat.

"Whoa, cool!" "Ooh, a window!" Bree and Adam were the first to speak, while Calla, Chase, and I just looked around in stunned amazement.

"Wow, the hydroloop is amazing!" Chase exclaimed. Calla nodded.

"We just went from the mainland to the middle of the ocean in less than thirty seconds!" She grinned. Big D nodded.

"It will take you anywhere you want to go on the island at any time." He informed us before he started to walk around.

"So, what do you think?" He asked.

"Beautiful view, tons of space…" Bree sighed. "I assume we'll be living in the basement again."

Big D chuckled. "No!" He smirked. "Here we call it below sea level."

"What about me?" I asked. "I don't sleep in a capsule, remember?" I had tried, once, but I kept falling over in my sleep. I had no idea how they managed to stay upright. Big D nodded.

"I had a few bedrooms built above section D for me and a few staff members." He replied. "You and Calla will each get your own rooms."

"Sweet." I grinned, before realizing what he said. I turned to Calla. "Wait, you're staying here? I thought you were only coming for the day?"

"Nope." Calla sounded pleased. "I convinced my mom to let me come and stay here because it's more convenient for my job. Her only conditions were that I have to come visit on weekends, and I need to take a couple of real classes online."

"So you're staying here permanently?" Chase beamed at the idea. Before Calla could reply (no doubt something cheeky) Mr. Davenport continued the tour.

"This," he began, walking over to a counter surrounded by chairs. Behind the counter was a large monitor, likely to be used as a virtual whiteboard. "Is one of the main class room areas."

He hit a button and the doors to our right opened up. He led us inside so we could see a large, circular room with benches around one half of it. "This is the training room where we'll develop the kid's skills and teach them to become bionic heroes."

"You couldn't teach Chase how to be one, what chance do they have?" Adam asked, putting one hand on my shoulder. Chase chose to ignore him, obviously not wanting to ruin the day with pointless bickering.

"Guys, this is serious. You have important roles as mentors." Big D told us. I smiled.

"Don't worry, Big D. We got this." I assured him. "Now, what exactly will I be teaching?"

Big D looked confused by my question. "Nothing, you're a student."

I stared at him. "A what?" I demanded. "But you let Calla give me a mission suit. You said I was part of the team!"

Bree nodded. "Yeah, he says a lot of things." She sent him a glare. "By the way, still waiting on that sweet sixteen party."

She walked away with Chase, obviously to go check out the facility. "Leo, you are part of the team." Big D assured me. "But you've only had your bionic arm for six months. You still have a lot more to learn."

I glared at him, crossing my arms. "Well that's the last time I save your life." I grumbled. He gave me a look. "Come on Big D, I am ready! Adam, Calla, tell him."

I turned to the two and they exchanged smirks. "Leo, were you not listening? We're teachers now." Calla pointed out. Adam nodded.

"It's Mr. Adam and Miss Calla to you." He agreed. I looked at them, then it dawned on me. I turned to Big D.

"Wait, you're making Calla a teacher and not me? She's not even bionic!" I protested. Mr. Davenport nodded.

"That's true, but I need Calla working here. She's got a lot to teach the students." He pointed out. I looked at him.

"Like what?" I questioned. Calla cleared her throat.

"I've been working on the bionics program for 5 years now, two more than you. That means I have the experience needed to deal with glitches, or just general problems with their abilities. Also, I've helped Adam, Bree, and Chase with their training since day one. I even helped you when you got your bionic arm." She pointed out. I glared at her, too annoyed to admit that she had a point. "Besides, we're supposed to be teaching them how to interact with humans. How are you supposed to do that without any humans present?"

"Alright, alright. I get it." I muttered. "But it's still not fair."

Calla smirked slightly. "Aw, bionic people problems." She teased lightly, ducking as I went to swipe at her head. She started towards the hydroloop, presumably to go check out her new bedroom. "The students will be here soon. You might want to get changed into your new uniform."

** Chase's POV **

Students had started pouring in just an hour after we arrived, as planned. By that point, I'd made myself familiar with the whole facility, noting where the best spots to teach were. I walked into the lobby, decked in my new mentor uniform. All of them were the same –white training pants, a black muscle shirt, and a white jacket.

"Hey Leo." I nodded to my stepbrother, noting that he was wearing one of the students uniforms – a mostly black training suit. The only differences between them were that the shoulders were different colours – a bright yellow, a bold red, a fiery orange, or a cool green.

"Hey." He grumbled, still looking upset about not being a mentor. "Nice outfits."

"Yours isn't bad." Bree offered, walking up to us. He gave her a look.

"I look like a bionic bumble bee." He pointed out. I bit back a laugh partially agreeing with him. Bree frowned, then looked around, noticing the different colours for the first time.

"Hey, what do the different colours mean?" She asked. I grabbed my tablet off the nearest table.

"Mr. Davenport, Calla, and I assessed each of the kid's bionics. The colours represent their level of mastery." I pressed some buttons on the tablet to show the levels. "Red is for expert, and it goes all the way down to yellow, for beginner."

"I'm a beginner?" Leo demanded just as a little boy in black and yellow walked up to us.

"Don't worry." The boy said to Leo, looking up at him. "I'm a beginner too."

Leo turned around to face him, not realizing that the boy was so much shorter than him. Finally, Leo looked down at him. He looked back at me. "I'm on the same level as him?" I nodded. "He's tiny."

The boy looked at Leo, offended. "I'm young. What's your excuse?" He questioned. I bit back a chuckle as the boy walked away, heading towards a group of kids talking to Calla. She looked away from the group just as the little boy sat down beside her and sent me a smile. I smiled back, but before I could go over to talk to her, I was interrupted by another rather young boy, also in the beginner class. This one, however, was a little bigger than the other.

"Hi." He greeted. He looked at Bree and smirked. "Sup little mama."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Can we help you?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, I have a little problem with my uniform." He stated.

"What's the problem?" Mr. Davenport asked, walking over to us.

"How do I put this?" The boy asked. He turned around and gestured at his rear end. "I need a little more room in the cargo area."

Mr. Davenport frowned. "Are you sure about that?" he asked. "Because tight is where it's at, right guys."

He started to dance a little until there was a very audible ripping sound. He suddenly froze, his hands reaching behind him. "Why don't we just get started?" I suggested. He nodded.

"Agreed." He looked over at the large mass of children. "Calla, Adam! I need everyone into the training area."

We quickly rounded up the students and corralled them into the training area. Adam, Bree, Calla, and I stepped onto the main steps with Mr. Davenport in front of us. The students were unusually quiet as they waited for him to begin.

"Notice which ones are right at the front." Calla murmured to me. I nodded, looking at the crowd. Most of the people at the front were either beginners or students that we'd quickly connected with, like S-3 (orange level), Kieran (green level), and R-10 (orange level). Leo was also standing there, between the little boy from earlier and Kieran. "You can tell which ones are more enthusiastic about getting started."

"You're right." I agreed as Mr. Davenport began to speak.

"Hello and welcome to the world's first Davenport Bionic Academy!" He announced, earning a round of applause from the crowd.

"When do I get to the throttle people?" The little boy from earlier demanded.

"Hey!" Leo exclaimed, pulling him back. "We don't throttle people, Mighty Mouse."

"He is so adorable." Calla whispered, smirking. I rolled my eyes.

"Leo's right." Mr. Davenport agreed. "You're not soldiers, you're students. Now, I know you've had it rough and you're still adjusting to the outside world, but we're here to help."

We all nodded at the crowd, smiling at them. "You see, this facility is here so you can train your bionics in a safe space and develop into the heroes you see before me." Adam, Bree and I stepped forward into the spot light. Calla silently handed Mr. Davenport his tablet.

"But first, it's time to get rid of your soldier numbers and give you all real names." I could see excited looks on everyone's faces at the thought of it. "Z-12, you are not Donald Junior."

Said boy looked disappointed, but Mr. Davenport didn't notice. He just continued listing off names. "D-32, you are Donald the Third. D-64, Donna. V-41, Donatella. I-44, Donaldina. S-50-"

"I don't want to be a Donald!" The little boy beside Leo complained. "I already gave myself a name. Spin."

I let out a low chuckle, while Calla merely shook her head at the boy. "That's not really a name. Why do you want to be called 'Spin'?" Mr. Davenport questioned. The boy grinned.

"'Cause I can do this." He spun around, his body moving so fast that it was a tornado. A few seconds later, he came to a stop, a confident smirk on his small face.

"Nice." Calla was grinning as well.

"Alright. You're Spin." Mr. Davenport looked impressed. "I did not even know you could do that. You know what? Forget yellow. You just moved up to green."

"Yes!" Spin beamed, though Leo looked frustrated.

"Oh come on! He twirled!" He protested. Mr. Davenport gave him a look, but S-3 cut him off before he could speak.

"Mr. Davenport, I'd like to change my name from S-3 to Sebastian." He declared. Mr. Davenport didn't look so sure.

"Really? I always saw you as a Julio." Mr. Davenport suggested. Sebastian shook his head.

"Nah, I like Sebastian better." He replied. Mr. Davenport nodded and Calla stepped forward.

"Alright bionic peoples. You can have the next ten minutes to socialize, but then we'll give you your class assignments." She announced. Mr. Davenport nodded and went to go get the list. The second he was gone, she continued. "Oh, and about the names. If you don't like the name he gave you, you're free to come up with your own, or come to me, Adam, Bree, or Chase and we'll suggest something for you. Trust me, I don't think I could teach in a school full of Donalds."

Calla jumped off the stage, heading over to Kieran, Sebastian, Leo, and R-10. We followed. "Yeah, I don't think anyone wants to be a Donald." R-10 agreed. Bree smirked.

"Now we just need to think of a name for you." She announced. R-10 looked at us.

"Any suggestions?" We all thought about it.

"Willow or Evelyn?" Bree suggested. R-10 shook her head.

"Candy or Khloe?" Leo offered. Again they were rejected.

"Thalia or Bianca?" "Hazel, Harper?" "Danica, Ashley?" "Clara or Oswin?" Calla, Kieran, Sebastian, and I tried.

"They're nice names but…they just aren't me." R-10 shook her head before her hazel eyes landed on Adam, the only one not to have said anything. "What about you?"

"Let me think about it." He replied. "I'll come up with something awesome."

"Guys, here's your class list." Mr. Davenport announced, handing us the sheet. "Really, just choose any ten kids and start teaching. Try to have people of all levels, and don't discriminate by level or age."

"Well." Calla hummed, looking at the list of soldier numbers. She quickly changed a few of the numbers to the names already chosen. "First day of school. Always interesting."

** Leo's POV **

"Come on, Big D!" I pleaded, following him through the halls of Bionic Academy.

"Leo, you're not ready to become a mentor." He said, his tone implying that he was getting annoyed. "Now stop complaining and start getting to know your fellow students."

"I don't have to. They're all named Donald." He stopped and looked at me. I sighed. "Plus, I don't fit in anywhere. Everybody's already found their own groups."

I pointed to the left where Adam, a bunch of guys, and a single girl were laughing at some joke. Well, R-10 didn't look like she found it that funny, but she seemed right at home at Adam's side. "Adam's mentoring the Bionic Bros and R-10."

I walked forward and pointed to Bree's group. "Bree's the leader of the Alpha Girls."

Sure enough, my stepsister was showing off some fighting moves to her new friends. She quickly and cleanly kicked the head off a punching dummy before turning to them. "You can use that move to fight off an attack or to get even on a boy who stands you up on a date because of football game." She forced a smile onto her face. "Not that I'm bitter."

I looked back at Big D before gesturing to Calla and her class of bionics. "Calla's called dibs on the geniuses." Said non-bionic girl was showing the group a test tube and a glass of a strange mixture.

"Alright, so who knows what happens when you drop a catalyst into a potassium chlorate and sugar mixture?" She asked. Kieran's hand shot up in the air from where he was sitting.

"Rocket fuel." He grinned. Calla nodded.

"So today's lesson is making rockets without blowing ourselves up." She grinned. "Everyone grab some safety goggles and follow me to the empty classroom in section 3."

As they passed us by, Big D hummed. "Maybe giving her access to the supply closet wasn't such a good idea."

"And Chase," I continued, leading him into the other classroom, "is still being Chase."

All of his students, including Sebastian, were sitting at the counter, tablets in front of them. Chase was at the front, leading the class. "What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?"

It was silent for a moment before everyone burst out laughing. I looked at Big D. "As for the other kids, they're all hiding because they're afraid you're going to give another speech."

"Well then, let's find them and give them one." He decided, his arm around my shoulder. He pulled me out of the room, not even giving me the chance to join any of the classes. It wasn't that I wanted to have my best friend and my siblings teach me, but Calla's rocket fuel experiment sounded kinda fun. If you ignored the possibility of getting blown up.

** Chase's POV **

"As your mentor," I began, looking at the group before me. "I've scheduled today's activities by military time. If you'll avert your attention to the virtual blackboard," I pressed a button the side and the schedule popped up, each block a different colour.

Suddenly, one of the boys raised his hand. "Donald the Third, no questions until 1100 hours."

He nodded and slowly lowered his hand. "Chase, it's only the first day." Sebastian pointed out. "Take it easy on him."

"I am taking it easy." I snapped. "If you had bothered to look at the magenta block, you'd see that I scheduled 6 and a half minutes of general horseplay."

He just stared at me. "Shenanigans, if you will." I explained. Sebastian raised an eyebrow and got to his feet. He walked up to the board, then nodded.

"Ah, okay. There it is." He said. "Guess I must have missed it since I don't have microscopic vision."

"Ha! I do!" I replied. I didn't know where the competitiveness had come from – usually I was only like this with Adam – but I wasn't going to back down.

"Look, I'm just saying, if I was in charge, I-" He began.

"Well you're not in charge, okay?" I interrupted him. "You're in my class, so why don't you sit down and pay attention?"

Sebastian looked at me and smirked. "I've got a better idea." He replied. "Why don't we just have our six minutes of fun now?"

With a grin, he swiped his hand across the virtual blackboard, breaking my schedule apart. "What are you doing?" I demanded. "You touched my blocks. Nobody touches my blocks."

I rushed to fix them. "Oops, sorry." There wasn't an ounce of sincerity in Sebastian's voice. "It must have slipped. Just like now."

He leaned forward and swiped the boards, making it worse than before. I glared at him. "That's it! You just earned yourself detention, mister!" I snapped.

"Good!" He replied. "I don't even know what that is!"

I glared at him, then looked at the class. "Everyone, take a ten minute break." I growled, pushing past him. I was not going to let him make me lose my temper in front of my class.

** Adam's POV **

So the first day wasn't going that bad, much to my surprise. I honestly expected an explosion of some sort before noon, but it never happened.

"So, have you thought of a name yet?" I asked R-10. The rest of the class was lifting weights with Bree and I supervising. Well, mainly Bree. R-10 had all of my attention.

"No." The brunette replied. "But I have heard some interesting suggestions."

"Like what?" I asked, leaning against the wall as she picked up a couple of dumbbells.

R-10 shrugged. "Phoebe, Luna, Nora…"

I shook my head. "You're not a Nora." I commented. She laughed lightly.

"I know. I can't think of a single name that fits me." She complained. I shrugged.

"We'll think of something." I offered just as Bree walked up to me.

"Hey, I'm going to go check out the cafeteria." Bree told me. "B-27 over there is starting to get on my nerves."

I looked over her shoulder to see a short boy looking at her dreamily. I nodded. "Bring me back a burger."

"Will do." Bree nodded. R-10 looked at her.

"Hey, can I come? I haven't been able to look around yet." She requested. Bree smiled.

"Sure, the company would be nice." She replied. Both girls left and I went back to supervising the students. It wasn't long before I saw the short boy head over to my set of weights. I stopped him before he could try to lift the bar.

"Whoa, whoa! Dude, be careful!" I called. "You can really hurt yourself with that. Those weights are like a hundred pounds a piece."

The boy chuckled. "You probably never heard of it but I've got a little something called super-strength." He bent down, lifted the bar above his head, did two reps, then placed it down on the floor like it was nothing. I grinned.

"Awesome! What else can you do?" I asked. He beamed, happy to be able to show off.

"Well, I'm the only student in the whole school who can do this." He pointed his hands at the ground and his body slowly lifted into the air until he was above my head.

"Whoa." Even though Chase had levitation too, he'd never done something that cool with it. The bow lowered himself to the ground, still grinning ear to ear. "Dude, you can fly?"

"Technically, it's called levitation. Look it up, bro." He replied. "I had to."

"Either way, we're going to have a blast together. What's your name?" I asked.

"Didn't get one yet." He replied. "I was thinking Theodore."

I shook my head. The name just didn't fit. "Nah, you need something more sophisticated and distinguished. A complex name for a man." Suddenly, it hit me. "I'm going to call you Bob."

"I like it!" Bob exclaimed, high-fiving me. He frowned. "Wait, how do you spell that?"

I grinned. "You and I are going to get along just fine."

** Chase's POV **

When I got back to the class, Sebastian was at the front of it, talking loudly. "And at 1400 hours, we'll all jump out the window and get eaten by sharks because it's better than listening to…" He caught sight of me and sighed. "Oh look. He's here."

"What do you think you're doing?" I questioned. Sebastian sighed and walked over to me.

"Look, I'm just trying to make people laugh before you put them to sleep." He explained. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I don't put people to sleep, I motivate them to think with their eyes closed!" Man, I really need better comebacks.

"Oh, well, do you also motivate them to snore?" Sebastian challenged. I glared at him.

"That's it. It's time I show you who's the boss." I growled. He didn't look intimidated in the least bit.

"Really? Are you sure you scheduled enough time for that?" He asked.

"I'll make room." I growled just as Calla and Bree walked up behind me.

"Chase, stop it." My girlfriend told me. "You can't pick a fight with him; you're a mentor now."

I sighed and looked at her. "He's turning my group against me." I complained, ignoring the pleading note in my voice. Bree sighed.

"Sebastian," She addressed him, "You may not like the way Chase runs his group, but it's his group. And if you can't respect that, then maybe you should find a different one."

"Got it." Sebastian grumbled. Bree suddenly stopped.

"Okay, when did I started talking like a mom?" She asked, walking away. Calla didn't leave however, instead leaning back against the hydroloop to watch what was going to happen next.

"They're right." Sebastian decided. "The two of us in the same group just isn't going to work."

"Finally, something we can agree on." I replied. He smiled.

"Good, so I'm going to take half of your group and make my own." He declared before turning to the group. "Let's go guys."

To my surprise, Danica, Jasper, and a couple of the unnamed students followed him down the hall. "You can't do that!" I called after him.

"Just did!" He called back. Donald the Third raised his hand, but I wasn't in the mood. "Does it look like 1100 hours to you?"

He lowered his hand as Calla walked up beside me. "What's your question, D3?"

"When's lunch?" He asked, avoiding my gaze. Calla looked at the clock above the blackboard.

"Now. You have one hour, then come back here." She instructed. The rest of my group dispersed, leaving to get something to eat. Calla looked at me. "Okay, I was not expecting Sebastian to do that."

"No, really?" I asked sarcastically. She gave me a look and I realized how rude I sounded. "Sorry, he's just getting on my last nerves."

"I can tell." She smirked. "Look, maybe you're being a little too hard on them? I know you like to have total control of the situation, but baby, I think you might be going a little overboard."

"I am not." I replied.

"Just consider what I've said." She told me. She looked over my shoulder into the training room. "Look, for the time being, I'm going to go talk to Sebastian and make sure those five aren't getting into any trouble."

"Someone should be supervising." I agreed. She smiled.

"Then you wouldn't mind taking over my group when they get back from lunch? They'll be back in about ten minutes." She told me. I sighed.

"Do I have a choice?" I asked. She smirked.

"None whatsoever." She said, pecking me quickly on the cheek. She started heading in Sebastian's direction. "Thanks!"

** Leo's POV **

I found Big D later, clearly having just finished target practice with the students who had heat vision. "Hey Big D!" I grinned excitedly at him. "Check out my new trick. I call it The Bionic Curve Ball."

I threw a fireball into the air and beamed and it circled Big D a couple of times before disappearing. He grinned. "That's fantastic, Leo!" He praised.

"I know." I smirked confidently. "Some might say it's only a skill a mentor may-"

"No." He cut me off midsentence. "But if you learned that in one day, imagine all the other things you will learn as a student."

"Hey Big D." Spin ran into the room, wearing his new green uniform. "Wanna see what I learned?"

I stared him down hard. "Whoa, don't you call my Big D, Big D." I snapped.

He looked up at me and then spun into a tornado, speeding across the room at random. When he finally came to a stop beside me, his arms were crossed and he was grinning proudly. "Whoa!" Big D exclaimed. "Now that was INCREDIBLE! You just moved up another color."

He high-fived Spin, the little boy beaming. I stared at Big D as he started to leave. "For what?" I called after him. "He buffed the floor!"

Big D gave me a look, but didn't say anything. "Thanks Mr. Davenport." Spin said. "I worked all day on it!"

Big D smiled, gestured at him, then at me, then back at him with a smile. I glared at him as he walked out, then turned on Spin. "Stop showing off." I ordered. "You're making me look bad."

"I'm not showing off, these skills come naturally." He retorted. "Just like you and your ability to complain."

I narrowed my eyes at the little boy. "You are working my last nerve, kid." I warned.

He merely smirked. "If you excuse me, I'm going to go get my new colour. You know, the one you didn't get?" He started to walk away, me seething with anger.

This was not fair at all! I wanted to punch something. Well, I wanted to punch him, but I knew I'd get in trouble for that, so I took my anger out on the wall instead. The second I hit it though, I knew I'd messed up. There was a loud bang, a large groan from beneath us and the entire room started shaking.

"Uh-oh." I murmured when the shaking stopped. Mist burst out of the crack I'd just made in the wall. Spin and I just stared at it. "Well, that can't be good."

"Leo, you shouldn't have done that!" Spin shouted as I tried to block the crack with my hands.

"I know I shouldn't have done that!" I screamed back. "Stop stating the obvious and help me fix the leak!"

Spin grabbed the empty trash can nearby and together we held it over the crack, letting the water flow into there instead of onto the floor. "When I punched the wall, I must have hit a water pipe." I realized.

"Who's stating the obvious now?" Spin grumbled, adjusting his grip on the trash can. Big D and Calla both ran into the room then, eyes wide.

"What's going on? The entire island shook!" Calla exclaimed.

"Guys, are you alright?" Big D turned to see us holding the trash can to the wall. I scrambled for an excuse.

"I…Well, I…it…it…" Suddenly, it hit me. "Spin did it!"

"I did it?!" The boy looked at me, angry. I nodded.

"See, he confessed!" I looked at Big D and Calla. "He was just spinning around the room and then he went right into this wall. He must have hit a water pipe. Thank goodness I was here to clean up his mess."

Calla crossed her arms, looking at me skeptically. It was pretty obvious she knew I was lying, but fortunately for me, she didn't call me out on it.

"Leo, that's not a water pipe." She informed me. I frowned.

"Calla's right, there's a structural beam behind that wall." He told us. "Spin's force must have cracked the foundation of the entire building. That's ocean water coming in."

"Ocean water? Like underneath us, ocean water?" Man, I messed up big time. "Like we're all going to drown-"

"Yes, ocean water!" Big D snapped.

"Mr. Davenport, Calla, I'm trying to tell you, I-" Spin began, only to be interrupted.

"Not now Spin." Big D's voice was full of disappointment. "We have to deal with this fast, or else the water pressure is going to build up and knock the whole island off it's foundation."

"Find a way to fix that hole." Calla instructed. Big D nodded.

"We'll go check for other damage." He ran off, but Calla stayed a moment.

"Leo…" She warned. I nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Go!" I snapped. She narrowed her eyes at me, but left all the same.

"I can't believe you blamed this on me!" Spin exclaimed the second she was gone. I gave him an apologetic look.

"I panicked! If he ever found out that I was the one who did this, he'd know I'm not ready to be a mentor." I replied. He gave me a look.

"Guess what? You're not!" He released the trash can and without both of our strengths, it flew out of my hands. With one final glare at me, Spin walked away, leaving me to deal with the mess alone.

** Adam's POV **

Okay, surfboarding was fun normally, but when your board was a bionic superhuman, it was just epic. Bob and I were having so much fun until Bree showed up to ruin it.

"Adam!" Her shrill voice came from behind us. "Get off of him! He's not a surfboard."

"I know." I agreed. "Surfboard's don't belch every time you take a corner."

Bree stared at me, so I hopped off Bob's back. "That was awesome!" I high-fived the boy. Bree just looked at us, much to Bob's pleasure.

"Hey Breezy." He smirked at her. I watching in amusement as he tried to flirt with my sister. "I've got a name now."

He looked at me. "What is it again?" He asked. Smirking, I supplied him with his answer.

"Bob." I replied.

"It's Bob." He turned back to Bree. "Are you loving it?"

"Yeah." Bree had a fake smile on her face. "But I'm going to go love it over there."

She walked away, throwing me a stern look as she did. Clearly, she wanted me to keep him away from her. Probably not going to happen.

"Hey Bob, do you want to go outside and see if you can hover over the water like a real surfboard?" I asked excitedly.

"Sure, but what if it doesn't work?" He asked uncertainly. I shrugged.

"No biggie, I can breathe underwater." I replied.

"Yeah, but I can't." He pointed out. I chuckled.

"Well, then you're in trouble." Without waiting for him to reply, I started leading him towards the hydroloop so it could take us outside.

** Leo's POV **

"How's the leak?" Big D ran in just as I had stepped back to admire my work.

"Leak, what leak?" I asked. "There is no leak. That wall is as good as new."

I gestured at the duct tape covered crack as Calla and Spin walked in. Judging by the look on her face, Spin had told Calla the truth.

"Mr. Davenport, can I talk to you?" Spin asked.

"Not now Spin. We're still cleaning up your mess." Big D snapped at the younger boy. "And by the way, you are demoted back down to yellow. Or whatever is below yellow. What is that, buttercup? You're buttercup."

"But that's not fair! It wasn't even my fault!" Spin objected, tears creeping into the corner of his eyes.

"I don't want to hear it." Big D replied. Calla crossed her arms.

"Sir, I think you might." She began, but he shook his head.

"No. To think I was proud of him. Maybe he's too young for this." He mentioned to her. I sighed. Time to fess up.

"Big D, wait." I stopped him.

"What?" He demanded, clearly tired of all the crap that had happened today.

I glanced back at Spin, then at him. "It wasn't his fault. I did it."

I could feel Spin and Calla both staring at me, one gaze surprised and the other proud. "You?" Big D was surprised.

"I got so frustrated I punched the wall." I explained. He looked at me.

"I can't believe you, Leo." He said. "Not only did you damage my brand new academy, but you lied to me and betrayed my trust!"

The building shook then, worse than before. "What was that?" Spin asked nervously.

"I…don't know?" Big D looked confused. Calla looked at me.

"Whatever it is, it's not good." She stated the obvious. Before I could reply, we heard Bree shout from the nearest class room.

"Mr. Davenport!" We ran into the room to see her, Sebastian and a couple of other students staring out the window. The waves around us were choppy and rising.

"The entire island is sinking!" Big D exclaimed. Bree looked at him.

"I sent Kieran and R-10 to find Chase and Adam." She said, just as Chase and Kieran burst through the door, students following them.

"What?" Chase demanded, obviously having heard what she said. "Sinking, how?"

"Well, you see Chase," Sebastian was obviously trying to sound like a smartass. "When water rises above-"

"I KNOW WHY THINGS SINK!" Chase shouted back. Clearly, those two were having issues.

"Leo punched a wall and cracked a foundation." Calla told her boyfriend. Bree, Chase, Kieran and Sebastian all stared at me.

"Why would you do that?" Bree demanded.

"Well I didn't think this was going to happen!" I retorted.

"Well, what did you think was going to happen?" Chase questioned.

"Honestly, Leo, how could you do something so dumb?" Sebastian commented. Kieran nodded.

"You need to think things through, man." All of a sudden, everyone in the room started turning against me. I let them talk, knowing that I had screwed up. But Spin wasn't going to let them complain.

"HEY!" He shouted, getting everyone's attention immediately. Even R-10, who had just returned without Adam, stopped in her tracks. "So he made a mistake! We all make mistakes!" Everyone watched him silently. "I mean, not as big as that one. That was just HUGE!"

"Okay, we get it." I told him. He nodded.

"Instead of yelling at him," he addressed the crowd again, "let's help him fix it."

"He's right." Sebastian agreed. "Maybe I can lift the island back onto its foundation. I mean, after all, I do have telekinesis."

Chase glared at him. "So do I, buddy. Get in line." He growled.

"Chase." Calla warned softly, giving him a look. He gave her one back, more frustrated than anything else.

"That will help, but it's still not enough. The island is too heavy." Big D pointed out.

"Don't worry, my whole group has telekinesis." Sebastian assured him.

"So does mine!" Chase growled. He looked at the girl next to him, Anika I think, and whispered, "And if you don't, just fake it."

I leaned over towards Calla. "What's going on between those two?" I hissed. She sighed.

"They're both being idiots." She replied before stepping forward. "Look, if you can do it, start doing it already!"

Chase nodded. "If we work together." He said to his group, "we can pull our abilities together to form one giant force and raise the island. Follow me."

Chase started towards the training area, likely because it was at the center of the island. But Sebastian wasn't going to let him get all the glory. "Oh no you don't!" He called after my stepbrother. "My group will raise the island. Follow me."

"Please." Calla muttered. "If those two keep fighting, they're definitely going to raze the island."

I smirked at her pun as we all watched the two groups from the hall way. Both groups were facing different directions and trying to use their telekinesis to lift the island. Bree looked away from them long enough to glance at R-10.

"Where's Adam?" She asked.

"Not sure." She replied with a shrug. "I couldn't find him or Bob."

"Lovely." Bree muttered before returning her attention to the two groups. It was clear by the way they building slanted and swayed that it wasn't working as well as they'd hoped. As it slanted one way, all of us fell against the wall, hitting it hard. Then as Sebastian raced to outdo Chase, it slanted to the other side, throwing the rest of us across the room.

"Whoa." I complained, trying desperately to regain my balance. Calla, Big D and I hit the wall, while Bree, Spin, and R-10 went out the door.

"If you guys don't work together," Big D called, "we aren't going to have an academy!"

"We're almost completely submerged!" We heard Bree cry. Sebastian looked at Chase.

"What if we combine our groups?" He suggested. "T hat way we could spread the force equally and lift the entire island at once."

Chase thought about it for a second, then nodded. "You're right. Everyone, form a circle!"

The building stopped slanting to our immense relief as they all formed a circle around the room. R-10 ran into the room. "Ocean water is starting to come in through the hydroloop tunnel." She informed us. Big D looked at Chase and Sebastian.

"Hurry!" He shouted. Chase looked at Sebastian, then at the group.

"Alright, on my count." He said. Sebastian nodded. "Three. Two. One. Now!"

The all raised their hands and immediately, the atmosphere changed. It was like an elevator slowly going upwards. Soft groans of concentration came from Chase, Sebastian and the students as they lifted the building, the shaking slowly receding. We stopped suddenly, a loud clang telling us that the building was now on its foundations once more.

We all stopped for a moment to be sure that it had worked and when the island didn't move, we grinned. "Yes! You did it!" Big D exclaimed. "The island is back on its foundation!"

Cheers and relieved exclamations came from everyone in the room. Chase immediately walked over to Sebastian. "Good job." The former soldier commented. Chase nodded.

"Yeah, you too." He replied. Sebastian smiled and went back to his friends while Chase hugged both Bree and Calla.

Big D walked over to me. "Hey." I said nervously. "What do you know? All's well that ends well."

Big D had that fake smile on his face that was usually followed by a punishment for my many screw ups. "Yeah, this isn't going to end well." I stated the obvious.

"I'm very disappointed in you Leo." He told me. "But you took responsibility and you didn't leave Spin on the hook." I glanced down at the younger boy, who was sitting on the steps behind us. "You learned a very valuable lesson today. As a  _student_."

"You just had to add that, didn't you?" I called as he walked away to speak with Calla and R-10. I sighed and plopped myself down next to Spin. "Hey." I smiled at him. "Thanks for standing up for me. You didn't have to do that."

"Well somebody had to do it. You really messed up." He was smirking. "I mean you REALLY-"

"Okay." I stopped him, standing up. He got up too, standing on the bench so that we were eye-level. I held out my hand. "Friends?"

"Yeah." He agreed, shaking my hand. "But don't think I'm not going to show you up every chance I get."

I stared at him. "And don't think I'm not going to train 24/7 to make you look like the runt you are."

"Runt?" He repeated, clearly offended. "I will spin you back to the mainland!"

"I think you mean twirl." I challenged, twirling in place before walking away. He followed me.

"I don't twirl!" He objected. I chuckled.

"Face it, you're a bionic ballerina." I told him. He glared at me.

"How about I twirl all over your face?" He raced at me and I had the sense to run. However, despite his anger, I knew he was just messing around.

** Chase's POV **

So, Bree and Calla weren't that pleased with Sebastian and I. Understandable, because in the midst of arguing, we nearly let the island sink. Although, Bree was going a little overboard, if you asked me.

"And I hope this experience has taught you two to stop working against each other and start working together." Bree told us, pacing around the two chairs she'd forced us to sit in. Calla was leaning against the wall, trying and failing to hide an amused smirk behind her fist.

"Now Chase," Bree looked at me, "is there anything you want to say to Sebastian?"

I sighed. "I guess I could call a truce." I muttered. "As long as he learns to respect my authority as a mentor."

"And Sebastian?" Calla called, not wanting to be left out of this. He sighed.

"I'm good with a truce as long as he stops acting like a bionic dictator." He grumbled. I glared at him.

"I only do that because I know what everyone should do and when they should do it!" I snapped. Both Bree and Calla looked at me, the former sternly and the latter amused. "Okay, I see your point."

Bree nodded. "Alright good. I'm going to go make you two a snack." She stopped herself and shuddered. "Ugh, what is happening to me? Pretty soon I'm going to start car pooling at a soccer practice!"

She walked off, a disgusted look on her face. Calla smirked. "Someone's been spending too much time around Tasha." She commented. She glanced at us. "So basically, stay out of trouble, and don't try to kill each other. Got it?" We both nodded. "Good. I'm going to go call my brother. I promised to tell him all about the first day."

She kissed me on the cheek and walked out, waving as she went. "Bye Chase, bye Sebastian!"

Sebastian glanced in the direction that Bree left in. "Bree's pretty cute." He commented. I looked at him.

"Dude, that's my sister." I pointed out. He nodded.

"I know." He agreed before smiling. "Could you put in a good word for me?"

I didn't look at him. "Truce is off." I declared, getting up and walking away.

** Adam's POV **

I was just heading towards the capsule dorm that belonged to Bree, Chase and I when I caught sight of R-10. She was sitting in the lounge area of the academy, staring up at the night sky through the massive window. I frowned in confusion and walked up to her, sitting down beside her on the ground. "What are you doing up?" I asked. She looked at me nervously.

"I'm not going to get in trouble for being out of the dorm so late, am I?" She asked. I smiled.

"I won't tell if you won't?" I suggested, earning a soft smile from the girl. "Seriously though, what's up?"

"Oh it's just…I like looking at the stars." She looked up at the sky. I hummed in agreement – in a city like Mission Creek, the bright lights made it hard to see the twinkling stars, but out here in the middle of the ocean, we had the best view of it. And it really was rather beautiful. "I like astrology, you see." R-10 continued. "They're amazing."

"Yeah." I agreed. She glanced at me.

"Was it this amazing from the mainland?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Not the sky, but everything else was pretty cool." I replied. "I mean, this place is cool, but the mainland had pizza, and sports, and…well actually, that was pretty much it."

She laughed. "Maybe I'll check it out sometime." She told me. I nodded.

"You should." I agreed before looking at her. "So I hear I missed quite the party today."

R-10 laughed lightly. "Yeah, where were you? I looked for you everywhere."

"Surfing with Bob." I replied with a grin. She looked at me.

"Tell me he wasn't the surfboard." She pleaded. I shook my head, still grinning.

"Nah. Calla had these old surfboards that she doesn't use often, so I asked if I could borrow them for the day." I replied. She smiled.

"Sounds like fun." She commented. I smiled back at her.

"Maybe I'll take you next time." I offered. Then I remembered something. "Oh! I thought of a name for you."

"Really?" She leaned forward with interest, pushing one of her bangs behind her ears. I nodded.

"Rio." I told her. She looked at me, clearly thinking the name over in her head. "You know, it's so close to R-10. I mean, R-1-0, R-I-O. I thought it would be perfect."

"Yeah." She thought about it for a moment. "Rio. Yeah, I like that name. I'm Rio." She grinned at me. "I love it."

"I'm glad." I was about to say something else when a knock on the wall caught my attention. We turned to see Calla standing there, Chase right behind her. They were both smirking. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Davenport just busted us heading upstairs to the second floor." Chase explained with a guilty smile on his face. I smirked.

"The second floor, where the bedrooms are?" I asked. Calla gave me a look, clearly wanting me to shut up.

"Look, he's doing rounds and you've got about two minutes to hide before he catches you." She told us, grabbing Chase's hand and heading towards our dorm. I sighed, got up, and offered Rio my hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" I asked. She nodded.

"I certainly hope so." She replied with a wink before heading towards her own dorm.


	2. Adam Steps Up

** Leo's POV **

It was on our fourth day at the academy that Calla, and Chase introduced the new type of training. They'd combined both of their classes into the training room, so Kieran, Spin, and I were all hanging around.

"So, why did they combine our classes?" Spin asked, looking up at Kieran. He shrugged.

"Probably so they could have an excuse to be around each other." He replied. I smirked.

"Probably." I agreed just as the two mentors walked to the center of the room.

"Listen up guys!" Chase called. "We're introducing a new element to training. The bionic battle."

"Each week, two of you will be pitted against each other in a physical challenge." Calla continued.

"To the death?" Spin demanded hopefully. I gave him a hard look.

"Yes. Big D built this multimillion dollar facility to train and house you just so we could pick you off one by one." I told him, sarcasm dripping from my tone.

"Anyway, each week's winner will earn points toward advancing to the next bionic skill level." Chase continued. Calla nodded.

"As for the loser…well, he gets humiliated." She told us with a smirk.

"Everyone understand?" Chase questioned. We all nodded and Calla turned towards Spin.

"Spin, since you're the youngest here, you get to choose an opponent first." She told him. The boy grinned.

"Yes!" He turned around to face the rest of us, his shoulders back in an attempt to intimidate the rest of us. "Scared? You should be!"

Although no one was really scared of the younger boy, we all decided to humour him anyway.

"No, no. This isn't about scaring people." Chase told him, smiling at Spin in amusement. "No one is going to get hurt."

As if on queue, a basketball flew out of the other room, hitting him in the back. We all turned towards the source of it to see Adam, Bob, Rio and some other kids taking shots at the basketball net in the other room. Hearing the commotion from her own classroom, Bree ran in just as Calla, Kieran and I followed Chase into the room. "What are you doing?" Chase demanded.

"We're throwing this thing," Bob held up his basketball, "at that thing." He pointed at the net. "I'm an athlete."

"Do you guys want to join us?" Rio asked, holding her basketball out towards Kieran. He shook his head.

"No thanks." He replied. Calla looked at Adam, ignoring the students.

"Adam, you're a mentor now." She reminded him sternly. "Start acting like one."

"I am." He protested. "We're supposed to teach them how to use their abilities, so we're having a bionic slam dunk contest!"

To prove Adam's point, Bob leapt into the air with the help of his levitation. Unfortunately, he miscalculated his trajectory and hit the net hard. The ball went through the white webbing, but he was left hanging there from the rim. "Bob, get down from there!" Bree exclaimed.

"Sorry little lady." Bob let out a nervous laugh, his grip tightening on the rim. "No can do."

"Why not?" Calla asked, confused.

"Because I'm afraid of heights!" He cried, refusing to look down. We all stared at him.

"But you can levitate." Chase pointed out.

"Well I'm good going up, it's the going down part that never ends well!" Bob really did sound scared. Calla looked at Chase, then gestured at Bob. He sighed.

"Fine. I'll use my telekinesis to get him down." He agreed, sending a glare at Adam before stepping closer to the boy.

"Or you could just use a ladder." Bree stated the obvious. I smirked, then watched in horror as Chase's attempt to help Bob went awry. One minute, he was trying to telekinetically lift Bob from the rim, the next he was lying flat on his back with both Bob and the backboard sitting on top of him.

"I don't know what you're talking about Bob – that ended very well." Adam chuckled, looking down at them.

** Adam's POV **

"Yo, peoples!" Calla called, walking towards Chase, Bree and I. She was holding up a clipboard and a pen. To our surprise, she was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt rather than her mentor uniform.

"Hey Calla, what's going on?" Chase asked, his arm automatically wrapping around her waist. She smiled.

"I'm heading back to the mainland for the day. Check in with Jay and Mom, then do a supplies run." She explained. Bree frowned.

"Don't we have enough supplies?" She asked, concerned. Calla nodded.

"For the students, yeah. But I was thinking of grabbing stuff like spare parts for some of my inventions, a bit of junk food, etc. You know, to make this place seem a little more like home." She explained. "Did you guys want anything?"

"Actually, yeah." I grabbed her clipboard and wrote something down at the bottom of her list, just below the items 'Power Cells' and 'Doritos'. Calla looked at it, then at me.

"Why would you want one of these?" She asked, confused. I shrugged.

"I'm trying to impress a girl." I admitted. Calla looked at me, then laughed lightly.

"Yeah, sure. Usually these cost a lot, but I've got one at home that I don't use anymore. It's all yours." She agreed. Bree looked at her.

"Hey, you're going to see Jaden, right?" She asked hopefully. Calla rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, he promised to give me his lasagne recipe." She replied before humming wistfully. "Seriously, if Jaden didn't want to become a pro football player, he could make a living as a gourmet chef."

She wasn't kidding. For Calla's 17th birthday, he'd made burgers and they were easily the best burgers I'd ever tasted.

Bree smiled. "Could you tell him…" She broke off, remembering that both Chase and I were listening and that if she said anything romantic, we'd likely tease her for it, "Well, just tell him to call me."

Calla chuckled. "Will do." She agreed just as Mr. Davenport walked into the room, speaking into his cell-phone.

"Okay Tasha…I…I got it honey…okay, now you're just growling."

We looked at him, both confused and amused. "Trouble in paradise?" Bree asked as he hung up.

"I've just been so busy with the academy I haven't been able to spend any time with Tasha." He explained with a sigh.

I chuckled. "And she's complaining about that?" I questioned. Everyone gave me looks, but I still found my comment amusing.

"Hey Mr. Davenport, why don't you go back to Mission Creek for a couple of days?" Chase offered. "We can handle things here."

Mr. Davenport didn't seem to like the idea of leaving four teenagers in charge of an island full of bionic superhumans. "Thanks, but there's too much going on here. Tasha will just have to wait."

We all exchanged looks, knowing that if he made Tasha wait, there would be hell to pay. "Hey Big D." Leo walked in carrying a stack of weights to the weight room. "What are you and Mom doing for your anniversary tonight?"

"Anniversary…!" Mr. Davenport gasped. "I'll call you from the mainland!"

He ran out and Calla sighed. "I might as well catch a ride with him."

"See you later?" Chase asked hopefully. She nodded before pecking him on the cheek.

"Yeah, I should be back in time for dinner." She replied. She looked at us. "Try not to sink the building, lose a child, or burn anything down." She ordered, thinking of everything that could go wrong.

"Got it." "Say hi to Jaden." "See ya!" We called after her.

** Kieran's POV **

I watched from my hiding spot near the back of the room as Calla and Mr. Davenport's hydroloop car disappeared. Another one would replace it soon enough and I was going to make sure I was on it.

"What are you doing?" I started as Rio suddenly appeared behind me. I spun around, glaring at her.

"Did you use your intangibility to walk through the wall and scare me?" I hissed. She shrugged.

"Maybe." She admitted mischievously before frowning at me in confusion. "So what are you doing?"

"I am going to sneak back to Mission Creek for a few hours." I looked around to make sure no one else was present. Rio gave me a look.

"Why?" She sounded totally confused as to why I would. I grinned sheepishly.

"I left my phone in my locker at the high school?" I tried. She put her hands on her hips.

"You're sneaking out for a cell phone?" She questioned.

"Hey! It has four hundred dollars worth of music on it!" I protested. She crossed her arms, obviously not believing me. "Okay. So what's the real reason you're sneaking out?" She demanded. I sighed.

"Look, I want to talk to Calla alone, alright?" I snapped. Rio frowned.

"And you can't do that here?" She questioned. "What do you need to talk to her about anyway."

I sighed. "About before." When she didn't understand, I elaborated. "About before we all came to Bionic Academy. There's this giant blank in my memory where I can't remember anything at all and-"

"We all do, Kieran." Rio pointed out, stopping me. She had a serious look on her face. "None of us remember what happened before Adam found us."

"But I remember times before that!" I insisted. "I remember going to school with them, and I remember the outside world. But everything between then and now is a blur, and I have a feeling that there's something they're not telling us."

"And you want answers." Rio nodded in understanding. I nodded.

"Is that too much to ask?" I questioned. She shook her head. Suddenly, a thought came to mind. "Besides, we can test out that new ability we discovered."

Once again, Rio looked at me skeptically. "I'm not so sure if that was a new ability. It could have just been a freak accident."

I scoffed. "Rio, we spoke to each other telepathically. I don't think that's a freak accident."

"One time." Rio reminded me. "And I haven't been able to do it since."

"Maybe it only works with the two of us." I suggested. "Because of the way we were made."

"You mean, like twin telepathy?" Rio shook her head. "This is crazy."

I gestured at the room. "You do know we're going to school to learn how to be superheroes, right?" I questioned. She let out a laugh.

"Fine. Try to message me, or whatever you want to call it, when you get to Mission Creek." She told me. I grinned.

"Will do." I looked back at the hydroloop to see that my ride was here. "Gotta go."

** Adam's POV **

"So, are we going to do this or not?" Bob asked excitedly.

"Hold on a second." I cautioned him as we walked into the main classroom by the hydroloop. Rio, Chase, and Bree were there, chatting with some of the students. "Hey, is Mr. Davenport gone yet?"

"Yep. The hydroloop left a few minutes ago." Rio replied. I grinned.

"Good because the party train just arrived!" I hit my chest against Bob's, accidently knocking him to the ground. "Sorry dude." I apologized, helping him back to his feet.

"It's cool. I'm a beast!" He replied, grinning. I laughed.

"Alright! Who's ready to do things we'll regret?" I called, earning some cheers from my group.

"We're supposed to be responsible!" Of course Bree would try to ruin our fun.

"Look, we're supposed to teach them life lessons and today's life lesson is about doing things we can't do when Mr. Davenport is here." I turned to Bob. "Right Bob?"

"Right!" We tried to chest bump again, but that went as well as it did the first time.

"Adam, Mr. Davenport left us in charge." Chase told me as I once again pulled Bob into a standing position. "We're not goofing around."

"Alright." I narrowed my eyes at Chase, refusing to let him tell me what to do in front of my class and potential future girlfriend. "Well I'm in charge too and I say we are."

I turned around and grabbed Bob by the shoulder. "Bob, these are the moments that define us. The moments that prove that we are men." I told him, looking him in the eye. "Now let's go have a cannonball contest!"

The group cheered again, much to Bree and Chase's frustration. They all ran off, presumably to get changed into their academy-issue swimsuits, leaving just me, Bree, Chase, and Rio.

"Adam, take this seriously!" Bree exclaimed. I grinned.

"No way, that wouldn't be as much fun." I started to leave, but stopped at the door. "Rio, are you coming?"

To be honest, I wasn't sure what she would do. She seemed like one of those good girls that would avoid getting into trouble at any cost, but I could sense that there was an inner rebel in there somewhere. Rio looked at Chase and Bree, then at me, then back at them.

"Oh, what the hell?" She sighed before smiling at me. "Just let me get changed into my bathing suit."

I grinned, heading towards my own dorm to get changed.

** Leo's POV **

"Welcome to paradise!" I announced as the hydroloop slowed to a stop. The doors opened, revealing the academy. Janelle looked out at the room from beside me and I took that as a queue to get out. Grabbing her bags for her, I stepped out of the hydroloop. She followed.

"You said we were going to Hawaii." She complained, looking around.

"We did." I nodded. "We went right under it."

She gave me a look, but before I could make a joke, Chase walked up to us.

"Leo, what do you think you're doing?" He questioned, drawing the attention of Bree and a couple of the students.

"Well since Big D is off taking care of his lady, I invited mine down for a little island vacation." I replied with a grin.

"This isn't a vacation resort." Chase told me just as a few of the students, Daniel, Zane, and Aaron, walked by carrying pool noodles and towels.

"Leo," Bree continued as though Chase's point hadn't been proven wrong, "Mr. Davenport is counting on us to work while he's away. Just help us out."

"I would love to help, but that sounds like a mentor problem and I'm just a student." For the first time since I got here, I was actually pleased to be a student. "Ta-ta!"

"Wait, you're just a student?" Janelle questioned as I led us onto the second floor where the spare bedrooms were. "I thought you said you were a teacher."

I laughed nervously, knowing that I was busted. "I am." I lied. I spotted Spin talking to a couple of the older students. "Hey look, there's one of my students now."

I pulled Spin over to us. "What? I'm not your student!" He objected.

I narrowed my eyes at him, willing him to play along. "Children." I commented to Janelle. "What he's trying to say is, we don't use labels here."

Janelle nodded, giving me that look that told me she didn't believe a word I said but that she would humour me anyway. "No, what I'm trying to say is that we're ranked by colours." Spin insisted. "Leo's a yellow. That's the lowest." He looked at Janelle. "You're scraping the bottom of the barrel, sweetheart."

Oh, I was so going to kill him later. "I see what's going on." I continued with my act. "You're just talking smack because you're tired of living in my shadow! I'd be jealous of me too."

"Jealous?" Spin repeated. "You're the one guy here who makes me feel better about myself!"

"Ooh." The crowd that had formed was obviously amused by Spin's comment. I took a deep breathe, trying to not get angry enough to punch a wall. The last time I did that, it didn't work out well for anyone.

"Okay, LITTLE boy." I looked down at him. "I don't have time for your games."

I tried to lead Janelle out of there, but Spin wasn't going to let me. "Oh, it's not a game!" He stopped me. "This just got real! Because I choose YOU as my opponent in the first bionic battle!"

I stared at him. Was he really challenging me in front of my girl? "Me?" I repeated.

"Yeah, you! Unless, of course, you don't want me to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend?" He challenged me.

That was his worst mistake. "You know what? I accept your challenge. The battle is on."

Spin and I glared at each other for a moment until the crowd dispersed, Spin leaving with them. "Great." Janelle said sarcastically. "While you two have your little showdown, I'll just sit alone on the beach."

I looked at her. "Janelle, that is not going to happen. We don't have a beach."

** Kieran's POV **

So, since I didn't really know where Calla was heading, I decided to head to the school. I hadn't been lying to Rio when I said I left my cell phone there, and I did want it back.

Speaking of Rio, I should probably try to message her. I leaned against the school's wall, trying to concentrate. I wasn't entirely sure about how to go about this, so I closed my eyes and tried to think as 'loud' as I could.

Rio? Can you hear me? I stood there, feeling like a complete idiot. Okay, maybe we should have tried this a different way.

Suddenly, I heard voices coming from inside the school. Glancing inside, I saw Calla by her locker, chatting with Rebeccka. I realized instantly that Calla had called one of her oldest and most loyal friends to help clear out her locker.

"So, is it true?" Rebeccka was saying, looking at Calla as she dropped several old books into her backpack. Said genius spared her friend a glance.

"Is what true?" She inquired, pulling a pencil case out of her locker.

"That you, the Davenport siblings, and Dooley are all working for the government now?" She commented. Calla laughed lightly.

"And where did you hear this?" She questioned, her tone light. Rebeccka shrugged.

"I know people." She replied absently. Calla shook her head.

"The government occasionally asks Adam, Bree, and Chase for help, but that's really it." Calla told her. Rebeccka frowned.

"So why did you drop out then?" Calla looked at her, surprised. "Please, everyone knows that none of you are going to school here anymore."

Calla rolled her eyes. "I didn't drop out." She assured Rebeccka. "None of us did."

"Then where have you been?" The other girl questioned. Calla hesitated and for a second, I worried that she might tell Rebeccka the truth. The Bionic Academy was supposed to be a secret, but Calla had always trusted people a little too much, especially her friends.

However, she just smiled at Rebeccka. "Look, Davenport had Adam, Bree, Chase, and Leo transfer because of all the bad publicity they got and I…" She sighed. "And I convinced my mom to let me change schools to so I could be with them."

"With him, you mean." Rebeccka bought the lie instantly, smirking. Calla ducked her head, her face turning red a bit.

"Yeah, to be with Chase." She agreed. Rebeccka cooed and gave Calla a hug.

"You're going to be one of those couples that get married after high school, aren't you?" She teased. Calla shrugged.

"Well, it probably won't happen right after high school, but someday…" She trailed off dreamily. She glanced at her watch. "Damn, I wish I could stay, but I should get going soon."

"Well, don't forget to visit." She told her. Calla smiled.

"Trust me, you haven't gotten rid of me yet." She assured her. Rebeccka grinned back.

"Good. Tell the others I said hi." She started to leave. "Oh, and Caleb was asking about you, by the way."

"Thanks." Calla grumbled the last bit before closing her locker door. She glanced over her shoulder. "I know you're there."

She turned around to face me, a stern look on her face. I sent her a guilty grin. Busted.

** Adam's POV **

"So everyone else was arguing about what to do because they were too dumb to realize that the answer was right in front of their eyes." I was saying to Rio, trying to impress her. She nodded.

"So, what did you do?" She asked. I chuckled.

"I grabbed my phone, called Tasha and told her to take the bus." I said simply. "You should have seen the looks on everyone's faces when she walked into the lab."

"God, that's hilarious. Right Bob?" She turned around to where Bob had been sitting. The spot was empty now, his plate completely abandoned. "Bob?"

"Where'd he go?" I wondered aloud, looking around. The cafeteria was mostly empty, with the exception of a few students trying to make themselves something to eat in the kitchen area. Mr. Davenport had yet to hire a chef, so for the time being we were forced to make our own meals. And since none of the soldiers knew how to cook, that usually ended with the kitchen catching fire. Surprisingly, not only was the kitchen spotless, but Bob was no where to be seen.

"Tell me we didn't actually lose him." Rio worried. I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Maybe Bree and Chase have seen him." I suggested, getting up. I grabbed our plates, dropped them in one of the sinks – whoever's turn it was to do dishes was going to be pretty annoyed when they saw how many plates there were – and turned to the pretty girl. "Why don't we ask them?"

Rio nodded and led the way into the lounge area of the academy. Sure enough, both Bree and Chase were there, talking with Sebastian.

"Hey, have you guys seen Bob?" I demanded. "Short, blonde, looks like Bob?"

Bree gave me a look. "I thought you were mentoring him and Rio in the fire art of cannonballs."

"I was." I agreed. "But I haven't seen him since he took out that swordfish."

Chase looked at me, horrified. "You lost him in the ocean?" He demanded.

"No, in the cafeteria." I replied, staring at him like he was stupid.

"Adam made us seafood for lunch." Rio explained. Sebastian looked at us, then raised two fingers to his temple. He frowned, lowering them a second later.

"That's strange. I'm not getting any trace of Bob on my bionic beacon." He looked at us, confused.

"What are we going to do?" Bree questioned. Chase sighed audibly.

"I don't know." He looked at me. "But I am not about to lose a man on my watch."

I stared at him. "Forget about the man on your watch , we have to find Bob!"

"It's an expression, Adam. He means we're going to find him." Rio assured me. Sebastian looked at her.

"Hey, why don't you grab Kieran? He can help us look." He suggested. She suddenly froze, a guilty look on her face.

"Y-yeah…" She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "About that…He's not here."

** Kieran's POV **

"What the hell are you doing here?" Calla demanded, leading me out of the school. I sighed, having to jog to keep up with her fast pace.

"I needed to talk to you." I told her, ignoring the look of annoyance she sent me. Ever since I'd gotten to Bionic Academy, our friendship had been strained, much to my frustration. "Come on Calla! Slow down, will you?"

She sighed, slowing to a normal pace. "You shouldn't have followed me." She told me. I looked at her.

"I needed answers." I stated.

"And you couldn't have asked Chase, Adam, or Bree?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Maybe, but I have a feeling you're more likely to tell me the truth. Every time I bring up the gaps in my memory to them, they skirt around the subject." I pointed out. She gave me a look as we turned down the street.

"It's for a good reason, Kieran." She told me. I nodded thoughtfully.

"I assume so. But I'd still like to know." I insisted. She shook her head.

"No, you really don't." She retorted. I grabbed her upper arm suddenly, stopping her. She turned and gave me a look. "Kieran…"

"I want to know why you hate me." I told her. She sighed, looking down.

"I don't hate you." She insisted. I raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, maybe. But I know I did something that really upset you, and I don't feel like any apology I give you will be sincere unless I know what I did." I continued. She didn't meet my eyes. "I need to know."

She sighed and looked at me. "Alright, fine. I'll tell you."

** Leo's POV **

I stood in one end of the training arena, stretching and flexing in an attempt to impress Janelle. It wasn't working very well.

"That's a lot of stretching." She commented. I smirked.

"I've got a lot of muscles." I replied. She smirked.

"I'm sure they're in there somewhere." She replied just as a bell went off to signal that the fight was about to begin.

I turned to face the arena. It seemed like most of the students were piled in, all eager to see the first bionic battle. Spin was waiting on the other side, a determined look on his face.

"You're going down." The boy told me, raising his voice to be heard over the cheering and chanting of the crowd. I smirked.

"I'm gonna have to! It's the only way I can see you eye to eye." We started circling each other. Spin glared at me for the comment, then spun into a tornado, coming right at me.

Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough to avoid being hit. He knocked my feet out from under me and I hit the ground with a pained groan. "Ow!" I complained as Spin smirked down at me.

"Now you can look me right in the knee." He teased. Angry, I got to my feet. I thought I could go easy on him and still win. I mean, I didn't want to pummel the kid, just bruise his ego a bit and look good in front of Janelle. But now, I was done being Mr. Nice Guy.

"Now you're really going to get it." I growled. He wasn't intimidated though.

"You've got nothing!" He retorted confidently.

"Ah!" I charged at him, but he ducked under me. I spun around, a fire ball already in my hand and threw it at him. It missed, hitting the ground just below him, but it startled him enough that he fell to the ground, hitting his ankle on the way down.

"Leo!" Janelle exclaimed as Spin pulled his knee to his chest. Spin glared at me, hurt.

"What did you do that for?" He demanded. I stepped forward.

"To show you who's the boss!" I retorted, getting down so that I was eye-level with him. Janelle stepped out of the stands, walking over to us.

"He's just a little kid!" She snapped at me. I stared at her.

"He's not a little kid! He is three feet of evil!" I objected. I looked down at Spin, who was still holding his ankle with a pained expression. I rolled my eyes. This kid really needed to grow up. "What are you going to do? Cry?"

A second later, Spin let out a wail, clutching his ankle. "No! No, no!" I couldn't tell if he was faking it, or if he really was crying, but I hadn't actually expected to this happen. "No, no, no, don't cry!"

Janelle pushed me away from him and knelt down beside him as he cried. "How could you do that to him?" She sent me a glare before rubbing Spin's back comfortingly.

"Yeah!" Spin glared at me through what I was sure were fake tears. "I'm just a child!"

"Oh no, that is my bit!" I glared at him. "Don't you steal my bit!"

Spin glared at me before going back to his crying. "Are you happy?" Janelle demanded. "You just took down a ten year old!"

"He is not ten!" I retorted before realizing he probably was. I looked at him. "Are you ten?"

Spin sniffled loudly, and I could tell by the look on Janelle's face that she wasn't going to be leaving him any time soon. "Let me help you up." She gently helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." He looked at her with big, sad eyes. "But I'm just trying to understand how someone could do that to another human being!"

"Aww!" Janelle cooed. I just stared at him, wondering how the hell he could actually pull this off. "Hey, I know what will make you feel better." Janelle continued. "How about a milkshake?"

"With sprinkles?" Spin asked hopefully. Janelle nodded.

"Yep." She agreed.

"And whipped cream?" Spin was really pushing it, but Janelle didn't mind.

"Yep." She nodded again. Spin glanced at me, then back at her.

"And love?" Okay, I was going to lose it if he continued. Even Janelle thought it was going a little far at this point.

"Sure." She agreed, making a heart with her hands. Spin smiled at her.

"Thanks for being so nice to me. It almost takes away the pain of what he did." He looked at me. Janelle pulled him into a hug. I sighed and looked at Janelle hopefully.

"I'd like a milkshake." I mentioned. She glared at me.

"No." She growled.

** Kieran's POV **

"So?" I asked. Calla had been quiet for a long time, clearly trying to organize her thoughts.

"Alright." She sighed. "There was this man, Victor Krane."

"Yeah, I think you mentioned him." I nodded. Calla sighed solemnly.

"He…well, he created you. All of you." She explained. "He's the one who made you and gave you bionics."

"So, he's our father?" I confirmed. She hesitated.

"I suppose so. Technically, you're right. But Kieran…" She looked at me. "He was a terrible man."

"Was." I noted. She nodded.

"Adam, Bree, and Chase killed him." She said darkly. I stared at her.

"What?" I breathed. She bit her lip, not answering me. "Calla!" I grabbed her by her shoulders. "What happened? Tell me!"

She winced as my grip on her shoulders tightened. Surprised by my own strength – I didn't have super strength, but I supposed I was a little stronger than the average human – I released her, stepping back. "S-sorry. I didn't mean…" My gaze dropped to the ground. "You caught me off guard."

"I'm sorry." Calla whispered. I looked at her. "I should have been a little more tactful about how I went with this."

"Just…start at the beginning, alright?" I asked softly. She nodded and that's exactly what she did. She started with when Adam, Bree, and Chase first met a man named Victor Krane, then she continued on to tell me how Krane had been the one to create us and had tried to use us to take over the world.

"You alright?" Calla asked when she was done. I didn't answer, still going over everything she had told me in my head. "I know it's a lot to process…"

"So this Krane guy…he's my father? And Rio's and Spin's and Sebastian's, and Bob's and everyone else's father?" I asked suddenly. Calla nodded.

"I suppose so, yeah." She looked at me with concern. By this point, we'd stopped walking and were just standing around in the middle of the sidewalk.

"…And he's dead?" I confirmed. I wasn't sure why I cared. I mean, I didn't even remember the man, and he had used us to do horrible things.

"Yeah, I…" Calla bit her lip. She was clearly out of her depth here. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "No, don't be." I told her, taking a breath. "From the sounds of it, we're all better off without him. And safer."

"He's not going to be able to hurt you guys again." She agreed, offering me a small smile. I nodded, then frowned.

"There's one thing I still don't get. Why not tell us?" I asked, confused. She sighed.

"We weren't sure how you'd guys would react. Davenport was worried that some of you might feel guilty for the things he made you do, or that you would be paranoid that we'd do the same thing. Which we wouldn't." She quickly added the last part. I nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, you have a point." I agreed. She was looking at me, clearly trying to figure out what was going on in my head. I offered her a small smile. "Thanks for telling me the truth. Sorry for…well, you know."

"Sorry for copying the stuff from my laptop, or sorry for following me down here like a stalker?" She asked, her tone light. I laughed. "Hey, I'm serious! Totally creepy dude!"

then looked around.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. By the way, where the heck are we heading?" I asked, changing the subject. She nodded at the mall, then held up a long list of items.

"Shopping." She replied with a smirk. I was about to make a complaint when I suddenly heard Rio's voice, loud and clear.

Kieran? Testing, testing. Can you hear me, bro?

I looked around, momentarily confused. Had the ability worked? Had I actually heard Rio's voice in my mind? It didn't sound like someone talking out loud, but I couldn't be too sure.

"Kieran? What's wrong?" Calla asked, frowning at me. I shook my head at her, focusing on sending a message back to my twin.

Rio! I can't believe this actually works!

Her response was instantaneous, relief and surprise coating the words.

Neither did I. Where are you?

"Whoa…" I breathed, shocked. Calla raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, you've been standing there, staring into space for almost two minutes now. What's up?" She asked. I smirked.

"Haven't you ever heard of twin telepathy?" I teased. Her eyes widened, shocked.

Calla and I are at Mission Creek Mall. I replied back to Rio. Am I missing anything good?

"Twin telepathy?" Calla was saying, completely unaware of the conversation going on in my head. "Are you serious? Because that would be so cool! I've been trying to make comm sets that work over psychic waves, but they've never really worked. You and Rio could communicate miles apart…"

Actually, we do have a problem. Rio admitted. We lost Bob.

"You what?" I exclaimed out loud. Calla stared at me. "Sorry."

You lost Bob? I sent the message to Rio, surprised.

Well, I saw we. I really meant that Adam lost Bob. You seen him? She asked hopefully.

"Kieran?" Calla crossed her arms. I sighed.

Sorry, but we'll keep an eye out for him. I told my sister before turning to Calla.

"They may have possibly misplaced Bob." I told her. She groaned loudly.

"God, I'm so going to kill them." She muttered. "Tell Rio that we'll be there as soon as I'm done getting the things on my list."

"Got it."I nodded.

Sis? Yeah, Calla says we'll be back when she's done shopping. Oh, and tell Adam that she's probably going to kill him.

Will do. Rio agreed. Talk to you later.

"They'll keep looking." I told Calla. She nodded and started towards the mall. "So, what were you saying about how cool my telepathy was? I kinda tuned you out."

** Adam's POV **

An hour later and I still couldn't find Bob. Frustrated, I walked back into the main classroom, hoping the others had spotted him. Sebastian and Rio were just getting out of the hydroloop when I got there.

"Find Bob?" Sebastian asked as he and Rio walked up to me. I shook my head.

"No, but I was thinking, what if we're the ones lost and Bob's trying to find us." I offered. Bree and Chase, who'd just come up behind us, looked at me like I was a moron.

"This is a little strange, guys." I continued. "It is not like Bob to just disappear. And I should know – we've been best friends for two days."

"Hey guys?" Rio nodded at the main computer screen. "I found him."

We turned to see Bob's face on the screen. By the looks of it, he was in either an airplane or a helicopter.

"Hello?" He called. "Is this Pizza Planet?"

We stared at him, shocked. "Bob?" Chase demanded, stepping closer to the screen to get a better look at him.

"Oh!" Bob laughed. "Hey guys. Must have dialled the wrong number, but while I've got you, wanna go halfsies on a pepperoni?"

"Are you on a plane?" Chase questioned. Then his eyes widened in shock when he realized exactly where Bob was. "Is that Mr. Davenport's jet?"

"I hope so." Bob commented. "There are pictures of him all over it." He turned the camera so we could see the giant picture of Mr. Davenport in the background.

"Bob, what made you think you could take Mr. Davenport's plane?" Sebastian demanded.

"Adam said we were supposed to do all the stuff we can't do when Mr. Davenport is there." Great, so this was my fault. Everyone turned to look at me.

"I did say that." I admitted. "But in my defence, I only meant to think it."

"I was going to surprise you with your favourite pizza from Mission Creek." Bob told us, his tone apologetic."So, surprise?"

I smiled. What a great kid, so thoughtful. "Aw." I glanced at the others. "Hey, when he gets back, act surprised."

Rio rolled her eyes, then looked at the screen. "Bob, how are you even flying that thing?"

"I dunno." He replied with a shrug. Chase sighed.

"It's a self flying jet." He explained to her. "As long as he doesn't disable the autopilot, he'll be totally-"

"What does this button do?" Bob asked curiously, pressing a button. Suddenly, he started screaming, a terrified look on his face.

We watched in horror as he panicked. "What just happened?" Bree demanded. Rio shrugged.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that he disabled the autopilot." She assumed. Chase nodded.

"The plane is in a freefall." He told us. I looked at him.

"Well do something, smart guy!" I snapped at him. He nodded.

"Okay Bob." Chase stepped closer to the screen so that he could focus completely on Bob. Sebastian and Rio had moved closer to the consol, wanting to help but unable to in any way. "I need you to rotate the stick to level out the plane."

"O-okay." Bob nodded quickly, his arms moving to do as he was told. Chase nodded.

"Good." His tone was encouraging. "Now, reactivate the autopilot by pushing the two red buttons on the panel next to you."

"I don't see any red buttons." Bob's voice was tight with panic. "Only green ones."

Chase frowned, confused. "Green? There are no green buttons."

Sebastian chose that moment to speak up. "Would now be a bad time to tell you that Bob is colour-blind?"

Chase grunted in annoyance and turned to glared at me. "This is your fault!" He accused. I frowned.

"How is it my fault Bob's colour-blind?" I questioned. Chase wasn't amused.

"This is what happens when you're not a responsible mentor." He growled.

"I'm very responsible." "You're completely irresponsible!" We began to argue.

"Guys, guys." Rio tried to stop us, but it wasn't until Bree shouted that we really stopped.

"Guys!" Our sister's annoyed exclamation got us to shut up. "Stop fighting! We have to figure out a plan to save Bob before it's too late! He's our responsibility."

"She's right." Sebastian agreed. Bree smiled at him.

"Thanks for backing me up." She grinned at him appreciatively. He smirked.

"Well thanks for having such lovely hair." He shot back. She let out a surprised laugh, twirling her hair around one finger. Chase and I just exchanged looks. "Maybe I can hack into Mr. Davenport's mainframe and try to override the autopilot from here."

"That's an awesome idea." Bree nodded.

"Well thanks." Sebastian grinned, leaning against the consol to smile at her.

"Great. Now we're dealing with two disasters." He grumbled. I nodded.

"You know we could just kidnap Jaden and have him put an end to it." I offered. Chase considered it.

"We'll talk about that later." He decided.

** Leo's POV **

It took me a while to find Spin after the fight, but when I did, he was talking to Janelle. The boy was leaning on crutches I knew he didn't need, and taking full advantage of her kindness.

I waited until after she was gone before sneaking into the room. Not noticing me, Spin threw his crutches down. "I've got that girl trapped in the Spin-cycle." He smirked.

"What are you doing?" I questioned. His eyes widened when he caught sight of me and he immedietly reached for the crutches.

"Help, help!" He shouted. "The bad man is back!"

"You're faking!" I accused. He shrugged, holding his crutches under his arms.

"You made me look like an idiot, so now I'm going to make you look like one." His smirk grew. "But to be fair, it's not so hard."

I stared him down, about to snap at him when Janelle walked back into the room holding some food. "Janelle." I greeted her with a nod. "I think there's something you need to see."

"What now? Are you going to steal his lunch money?" She questioned. Annoyed, I grabbed one of Spin's crutches and pulled it away from him. He fell to the side, Janelle letting him lean against her body. "Leo!"

"Leo!" Spin mimicked, one hand on Janelle's shoulder. I glared at him.

"He's not really hurt. He's just using you for sympathy!" I exclaimed.

"I get it! You won the challenge, isn't that enough?" Spin demanded tearfully. I rolled my eyes, pulling his other crutch away from him. He let himself fall to the ground, Janelle staring at me like I was a monster.

"Leo, what has gotten into you?" She demanded, kneeling down beside Spin.

"I just saw him. He is fine." I insisted. "He does not need crutches."

"You're right. He doesn't." Janelle agreed. She pulled Spin's arm around her shoulder and lifted him off the floor. "Let's go, Spin. You're coming with me."

"The pain!" Spin whimpered as she carried him out. He sent me a smirk over her shoulder as they left, and I dropped the crutches, not sure how to beat him. How did you beat that level of acting?

** Adam's POV **

Chase and Sebastian were still working on the consol, trying to save Bob remotely, while Bree, Rio and I watched. "Hang on Bob." Chase glanced up at the screen. "We're trying to reactivate the autopilot from here."

Bob gulped. "The altitude thingy is flashing danger. What does that mean?"

"It means you're in danger!" Bree snapped. Bob frowned.

"Are we talking bad danger, or good danger?" He questioned.

"The bad kind." Rio told him. His eyes widened. "But it's all going to okay. You just need to keep calm. Can you do that?"

"M-maybe." Bob stuttered nervously. I looked at Chase and Sebastian.

"We're running out of time." I told them.

"Don't worry, I hacked into the jet." Sebastian assured me. He looked at Bree, a smirk on his lips. "All I have to do is press this button," he explained, not taking his eyes off of her, "and the autopilot will be back up in no time."

He pressed a button, but instead of Bob being saved, the screen shut off. "Uh, where did he go?" Bree asked. Sebastian looked at the screen.

"Oh no! I must have hit the wrong button!" He realized. Chase looked at him.

"Maybe because you were staring at my sister!" For some reason, when it came to Sebastian, Chase was pretty overprotective about Bree. It wouldn't be the first time one of us had been judgement and cold towards the guy she liked – in fact, Jaden was the only one we actually liked – but it was still amusing to see Chase being so defensive.

"You must have disabled communications with the jet." Rio decided, getting everyone back on topic. Suddenly, the screen just turned back on. But instead of Bob staring back at us, it was Mr. Davenport.

"Bob, what happened? You look awful!" I exclaimed. Rio hit me in the arm.

"Hi Mr. Davenport." She smiled nervously, backing up a bit.

"Any kids missing yet?" He asked with a smirk. We all exchanged looks. How could he know? "I'm kidding." He assured us.

"Right." Rio let out a laugh. "So, how's it going, sir?"

"Good, good. I just wanted to check in, make sure everything is running smoothly." His smile turned into a harsh glare. "It is running smoothly, isn't it?"

"Yep, real smooth." Chase was always the best liar out of us. He always had that honest look about him, and it was actually quite impressive how he could change the subject so easily. "I hope your anniversary's going well."

"Oh, it's great." Mr. Davenport smiled. "I just made this rosemary chicken-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Chicken, have a nice dinner." Chase quickly hung up on him, knowing that we had to get back to the crisis at hand ASAP.

** Leo's POV **

"Jokes over, mini-man!" I exclaimed, walking into the training area where Spin was standing with his crutches. I was holding my tablet in my arms, pointed towards him. "You need to tell Janelle the truth."

"Sure." Spin smiled at me. "I'll say whatever you want, as soon as you stop filming me with that tablet."

"What? That's ridiculous." He gave me a look, then took the table from me and slammed it against the ground. He stamped on it a couple of time before kicking it across the room. "You could have just deleted it."

Spin looked at me. "Nice try Leo. I might be faking it," he didn't notice Janelle walk up behind him, "but I've got your girlfriend wrapped around my little bionic finger."

He turned around and came face to face with my very annoyed girlfriend. "You lied to me." She said, before he could even open his mouth to defend himself.

"Lie is such a strong word…" He began. She just shook her head at him.

"I picked you up, I sang you to sleep, I fed you with a spoon!" She exclaimed. Spin looked at her, both guilty and afraid. I merely laughed.

"Oh, this is great." I smirked. "Front row seats."

Janelle sent me a look. "Oh, you're in trouble too mister." She told me.

"What did I do?" I demanded. She sighed.

"All I wanted was a relaxing vacation with my boyfriend." She told me. "But you ruined it with your little grudge match."

"At least I kicked his butt." I grumbled unhelpfully.

"Because I let you!" Spin retorted. I glared at him.

"You want to go again right now?" I demanded. He nodded.

"Yeah!" Janelle pushed us apart before we could actually fight.

"Enough!" She exclaimed. I sighed, realizing how badly I'd let her down.

"Look Janelle, I'm sorry." I apologized. "I just wanted to impress you and got a little carried away."

She nodded, accepting my apology before looking at Spin. "And you?"

He looked nervous for a moment before he started fake crying again. "My leg!"

"Seriously?" Janelle wasn't buying it this time. He sighed, dropping the act.

"Okay. I'm sorry too." He muttered. Janelle smirked.

"Good. Now that that's settled, you two are going to be my servants and give me the vacation I deserve. Smoothie, hammock, double time!"

She walked off, her head held high. Spin glanced at me. "Wow. Is she always like that?"

"No, sometimes she's mean." I admitted, letting a little of my fear enter my tone. I walked away, hoping that Adam or somebody had brought a hammock to the island.

** Adam's POV **

So, probably not the best idea I ever had, but since we were running out of time, I figured, what the hell? Besides, jet packing onto a moving jet actually sounded pretty fun.

Once on board, I knocked on the door to the cockpit out of politeness, then opened the door. "Hey Bob."

His face flushed with relief. "Adam? How did you get here?"

I shrugged. "Oh, I used Mr. Davenport's Jet Wing to get up here and then I used to my heat vision to cut a hole through the cargo area."

"Cool." He grinned. "Where's the Jet Wing?"

Good question. "It wouldn't fit through the hole, so I ditched it and sent it plummeting to the ground."

"That's what I would do." He agreed. I suddenly remembered why I was up here.

"Hey Bob, I've got a question for you." I grabbed his arm, looking at him in dead seriousness. "What were you thinking, taking this plane?!"

"I thought you'd think I was cool!" He protested. I let out a sigh, glaring at him half-heartedly.

"I do." I admitted, despite the dangerous situation. "Oh Bob, I can't stay mad at you. Let's land this thing and call it a day."

I settled into the co-pilot's seat, looking at the controls. "Alright. Chase said red button. Red button…" I hit a button above my seat and the plane started to descend very, very quickly. "Wrong button, wrong button!"

"What are we going to do?" Bob cried. I struggled to think.

"We're going down, we have to jump." I decided. Bob looked at me like I was crazy.

"No, we don't!" He protested.

"Yes, we do."

"No, we don't."

"Yes, we do." Why was he arguing with me about surviving?

"But I'm afraid of heights!" Bob exclaimed, fear evident on his face. I grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't worry Bob. I'll get you through it. This is nothing. And when it's over, we'll laugh about it." I assured him. "If we survive."

I pulled Bob to the back end of the plane and quickly made sure his parachute was harnessed in. "Here." I handed him mine. "Hold my parachute while I adjust yours."

I finished fiddling with the straps, making sure they were tight. "Trust me Bob. You can do this, you just have to believe in yourself."

Bob nodded shakily. "You're right. I can do this! I can do this. I CAN'T DO THIS!"

I sighed. "You CAN do this. In the past twenty-four hours, you face planted off a basketball rim and belly flopped onto a jagged coral reef. Bob, you're a beast!"

"You're right!" Bob smiled. "I'm a beast!"

I grinned. "You can do this!"

"I can do this!" He leapt off the plane, making me smile. Way to go Bob!

"That's the spirit!" I called after him. I reached for my own parachute, only to realize it wasn't there. "Hey! You took my parachute!" Without stopping to think about my actions, I leapt off the plane, freefalling through the air. It was totally awesome!

** Xxx **

I wasn't sure if it was luck, coincidence, or just good timing, but our landing spot happened to be my house. Specifically, the dining room. I crashed through the skylight, the table breaking my fall.

"Adam!" Mr. Davenport shouted as I stumbled to my feet. Everything hurt – no surprise there – but I supposed that we were lucky to be alive.

"Whoo-hoo!" I exclaimed, grinning. "I'm alive!"

Mr. Davenport didn't look as happy about that as I was. "Not for long!" He snapped.

"Look out below!" Bob slowly floated in, the parachute catching on the broken skylight.

"Bob!" Mr. Davenport shouted, stunned.

"Oh, hey Mr. Davenport." He greeted. He sniffed the air. "Is that rosemary chicken?"

"It was!" Wow, he was really pissed off at us. After we quickly explained what had happened, he had grumbled an apology to Tasha and drove us to the hydroloop, picking up both Calla and Kieran on the way.

No one said anything on the way back, mainly because we were afraid Mr. Davenport would start screaming at us. Not that Calla or Kieran did anything wrong, they just didn't want to start a fight.

The second we were back, Sebastian, Rio and Kieran left, leaving only me, Chase, Bree, Calla and Bob in the room.

"I am never leaving you guys in charge again." Mr. Davenport told us, his tone full of disappointment and anger. I glanced at the others. Calla hadn't even been here, and all Chase and Bree had done was try to help. It wasn't their fault.

"Mr. Davenport, it's not their fault. It's mine." He looked surprised, but didn't stop me. "I was goofing off, and the students thought it was okay to goof off too. I should have been a better mentor."

"Actually," Bob spoke up, "Adam was a good mentor."

"He was?" Mr. Davenport questioned.

"He was?" Chase repeated. I looked at Bob.

"I was?" Even I didn't think I did a good job. But Bob just nodded.

"Yeah, when I was up in the jet, I didn't want to jump. But Adam boosted my confidence and helped me conquer my fear of heights."

"Wow." Mr. Davenport actually looked impressed. "I'm impressed Adam."

"Never thought I'd hear those three words together." Bree commented. Calla frowned.

"Wait, one question. Why did you jump?" She looked at me. "You do know that it has an emergency landing beacon that allows it to land automatically, even with the autopilot disabled, right?"

I did not know that, actually. "So we jumped for nothing?" Bob demanded, turning to me. I frowned.

"Wait, does your Jet Wing land itself too?" I asked. Mr. Davenport glared at me, realizing where this was going.

"No…" He glared at me, so Calla decided to intervene.

"Mr. Davenport, I do need to talk to you about our chef problem. Well, our lack of chef problem, actually." She grabbed his arm and started pushing him into the other room. She looked over her shoulder. "By the way Adam, that telescope you wanted me to get you should be in the third bag. Mind giving Leo his Tecton comic books for me while you're at it?"

"Sure." I replied. I looked at Bob. "But first, wanna have a belly flop contest?"


	3. Unauthorized Mission

** Bree's POV **

Oh, Saturdays. I loved Saturdays. They were easily my favourite day of the week, and that had not changed since I came to the academy. Mr. Davenport had arranged the schedules so that everyone could sleep in longer on the weekends and so that instead of us teaching classes all day, we each would only have to teach a couple sometime in the afternoon. Both the students and mentors appreciated this because fewer classes meant that we all had a lot more free time.

So as a result, I was in a fairly good mood when I made my way into the cafeteria around 9 in the morning. I immediately noticed a big change the second I walked through the doors. The smell of fresh-cooked breakfast filled the air, and I don't mean the cold cereal we've all been surviving on all week. No, the air was thick with the smell of cooking bacon and maple syrup.

As it turns out, I wasn't the only one drawn to the sweet scents floating around the cafeteria. Calla, Chase, Adam, Leo, and Kieran had dragged a couple of tables together and were sitting near the front of the room, talking quietly among themselves. As I walked towards them, I could see that they each had a plate of toast, waffles, or, in Calla's case, crepes. "Hey guys." I sat down beside them. "Where'd you get the food? 'Cause no offense, but none of you know how to cook."

"I know how to cook!" Calla protested, digging into her meal. Chase rolled his eyes.

"Calla, being able to make Mac and Cheese without burning it doesn't count as cooking." He told her. She gave him a pointed look.

"A, it so does." She turned to me. "B, I convinced Davenport to hire a chef."

She had a smirk on her face, and I looked at her suspiciously. She was never that chipper in the mornings – and the smirk was starting to creep me out a bit.

"Really, who is it?" I asked. They all exchanged looks, placing their forks down.

"Why don't you go see?" Kieran suggested, gesturing at the kitchen. They were all smirking now. I stood up, frowning.

"…Alright." I walked towards the kitchen, pushing open the swinging door and stepping inside. "Hello?"

There was a moment of silence, leading me to believe that maybe the chef had stepped out for a moment. And then an all too familiar voice came from behind me. "Hey Princess, you miss me?"

My breath caught in my throat as I spun around to face the tall, brown haired boy. "JADEN!" I screamed, jumping up and wrapping my arms around his neck. He reacted instinctively, holding me up against his body as he pressed his lips hungrily against mine.

"I missed you." He breathed between kisses. I ran my fingers through his hair.

"God, I love you." I whispered back. He grinned.

"I know." He replied, pulling away and setting me down on my feet. I gave him a look. "Yeah, I love you too, princess."

I opened my mouth to reply, only to be cut off by Leo's impatient call. "Hey, are you two done making out in there?"

"Not yet. Ask again in ten minutes!" Jaden replied instantly, kissing me again. I let out a small laugh before taking his hand and following him into the cafeteria. Adam, Leo and Kieran were digging into their wallets, pulling out twenties. With glares, they handed the cash to Calla.

"You made bets?" I gave Calla a stern look, but she was unfazed.

"Yeah, on whether Bree would be stunned into silence, or if she would scream your name. I won." She replied, counting the cash.

"Hey, if you're going to be on our relationship, don't you think we deserve a cut?" Jaden asked. She thought about it, then held out a twenty.

"Here's your cut." She told me. Jaden looked at her.

"What about me?" He asked. Calla smirked.

"I got you this job. Don't push your luck, Jay." She retorted, but slid closer to Chase so we could have a place to sit.

"Okay, question." Kieran looked at Jaden. "Since when can you cook?"

"Mom usually works late, so when we were younger, I was in charge of making dinner for Calla and I. And she is one hell of a picky eater." He added, earning a half-hearted glare from his sister.

"So you're working here full time now?" I asked hopefully. Jaden nodded.

"Yep. You're stuck with me." He kissed me lightly on the nose.

"Someone better tell Sebastian that." Leo muttered. Jaden frowned.

"Who's Sebastian?" He asked. Before I could answer, my phone started buzzing, along with Calla, Leo, Chase, and Adam's phones.

"Mission alert." Calla explained, getting up with the rest of us. I kissed Jaden quickly as I stood up.

"I'll see you later?" He called. I smiled back at him.

"Count on it." I promised as we ran into the main classroom. Sebastian was already waiting.

"What's going on? The monitor said there was a mission?" He asked confused. Chase nodded, already grabbing a bag from the storage closet. Leo looked at me.

"I'm going to go get dressed into my mission suit." He told me. Adam followed him out of the room.

"Yeah, power failure at a major hospital due to an earthquake." Calla read the details off of the screen. Sebastian frowned.

"Sounds bad, can I help?" He offered. I hesitated.

"Chase?" He was mission leader after all. He frowned.

"I don't know…" He began. Calla nodded though.

"I think he should." She mentioned before quickly explaining. "Look, somebody needs to be at a computer in case something goes wrong, and Davenport made that rule last week about one mentor being here at all times. Sebastian should take my spot in the field – he could use the experience."

Chase looked at her, thinking it over, then nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"Good, I'll set the coordinates in the hydroloop." Before Calla even touched the computer though, she grabbed her mission suit jacket out of the storage bag and pulled it on. We all gave her a look. "What? This thing is awesome."

Rolling our eyes, Chase and I quickly got changed, then filed into the hydroloop with Adam, Leo, and Sebastian.

** Sebastian's POV **

So the mission was crap. I got to do absolutely nothing, unless you count standing by and observing as Adam, Bree, Chase, and Leo got to play hero. Even Calla did more than me, sending information on the damage to the hospital's foundation to Chase wirelessly.

We got back about three hours after we left, and apparently, I was the only one in a bad mood. "Nice work guys." Calla greeted us, her mission jacket still on. Chase nodded in agreement.

"That mission was a total success." He agreed. Adam frowned.

"Maybe for you, but nothing caught on fire or blew up. To me, colossal failure."

Leo looked at him. "Well, good news. You've got heat vision and a whole afternoon ahead of you. Go make something happen."

Adam grinned, but was interrupted by Bob before he could answer. "Hey Adam." The young boy was holding part of a boogie board. The back end of it looked like a large bite had been taken out of it. "Check it out. While you were gone, I got to boogie board with the dolphins."

Adam chuckled, noticing the bite marks. "Oh, Bob." He sighed. "Those weren't dolphins. These are clearly the bites of an angry catfish."

"Wow." Bob tucked the destroyed board back under his arm. "Is there anything you don't know?"

Bree and I watched this exchange before glancing at each other. "I don't think we should let those two play together anymore."

"Uh-uh." I agreed with her, starting towards the desk where Calla and Chase were comparing information. "Hey Chase, on the next mission, do you think I might actually be able to do something?"

Chase looked confused. "Well you did get to do something. You watched me be an amazing mission leader. Most people would pay to see that."

"And then demand a refund." Calla added, not looking up from the IPad in her hands. I sighed and looked back at Chase.

"I'm just saying that the whole purpose of me going on a mission was to get some hands-on training." I continued.

"And you did." Chase told me, his tone slightly patronizing. "You handed me my flashlight and my lip balm. Thank you."

I let out a frustrated sigh. He just wasn't getting it. "But I'm the best student here!" I protested. "I've been acing all of my training exercises! Without practice, how am I ever going to be Mission Leader?"

"Oh, that's just it. You won't." Chase replied. "Because I'm Mission Leader."

"Yeah." Adam put his hands on our shoulders. "Dude, you can't be mission leader too, because then I would have to make fun of both of you and there just aren't enough hours in the day. I need some me time."

"Chase, stop being such a control freak." Bree scolded her brother. "Sebastian seems perfectly capable."

"Aw, thanks." Bree had been in a really good mood on the mission, and I had hoped that it was because I had been allowed to come. The way she was defending me now seemed to agree with my conclusion.

"My pleasure." She replied with a kind smile. Before I could reply with some cheesy one-liner to make her laugh, the doors opened and a tall, brown haired boy walked in. The only reason he stood out from the rest of us was that instead of a student or mentor uniform, he wore a pair of black pants and a white long sleeved shirt.

"Back from the mission already? How'd it go?" He asked, opening his arms. In an instant, Bree had left my side and was standing in front of the boy, a wide grin on her face.

"It was great." She replied. She looked at him. "By the way, did anyone give you a tour of this place yet?"

"Are you offering?" The boy grinned at her. She smirked.

"Let's go." She grabbed his hand, kissing him on the lips quickly before starting to pull him down the hall. "See you guys later!" She called over her shoulder.

I just stared at the scene, shocked. Who the hell was that guy? And did she really just kiss him? What was going on here?!

Before I could voice any of this out loud, we all heard Bob shout. "Adam, look! I'm riding an angry catfish!"

Adam laughed, pointing out the window. "Look at him go!" He exclaimed, before looking at us. "Yeah, that is not a catfish."

Eyes widening, Chase, Leo and Adam ran out of the room. Calla went to follow, but skidded to a stop when she realized I wasn't coming. "Sebastian?"

"Bree has a boyfriend." I said simply. She sighed, stepping towards me.

"Yeah. My brother, Jaden. They've been dating for nearly eight months now." She replied. I nodded, thinking. She gave me a sympathetic smile. "No one told you?"

"Nope." I shook my head before trudging down the hall, a little down. But really, this wasn't going to change much. It just meant that I was going to have to try a little harder to gain Bree's affections.

** Rio's POV **

I watched boredly as Chase flipped Leo over his shoulder in training. Class was going by slowly today, and with Adam busy playing basketball with his jock friends, I was going crazy with boredom.

Then things finally got interesting when Spin stormed into the room. Not only was it adorable to see a ten year old so pissed off, but I figured that listening in on whatever argument was about to begin would be better than just sitting here, messing around with the weights.

"Hey!" The little boy walked straight up to Chase. "I just heard that Leo got to go on a mission! Why'd he get picked and not me?"

"Well Spin," Chase began calmly, not at all fazed by the anger in Spin's voice, "Leo and Sebastian both excelled in their training this week. Plus, Mr. Davenport considered many other factors, including experience, bionic abilities, social dynamics-"

"Too short, too young. Bye-bye." Leo patted Spin on the head patronizingly. I stood up, coming to the boy's defence.

"Leo, be nice." I warned, just as Mr. Davenport walked in. Spin walked up to him, clearly upset.

"Mr. Davenport, do you think I'm too young to go on missions?" He asked. Mr. Davenport nodded.

"Yes, and too short. I thought Leo covered this." He replied.

"But Leo always brags about how you sent him on a mission when he was young to stop a runaway train!" Spin protested. Mr. Davenport looked amused.

"Uh, yeah, technically, he wasn't sent. He snuck on the train." He corrected.

"But I was there." Leo pointed out. "And I was awesome."

"Sure you were Leo, sure you were." I replied. He rolled his eyes at me, and the conversation was brought back to Spin.

"Look Spin, just focus on your training and eventually your time will come." Mr. Davenport assured the younger boy.

"This isn't fair!" Spin protested. "I'm never going to get to go on a mission!"

He ran out of the room, clearly upset. Mr. Davenport just smiled at us. "See how I handled that? These kids are so lucky to have me."

I raised an eyebrow at that. Really? "Too old, too vain. Bye-bye." Leo told him. I nodded my agreement and ran in Spin's direction. I found him in the hall, arms crossed and glaring at the floor.

"It's not fair." He mumbled upon seeing me. I nodded.

"I know, kiddo." I agreed. I looked over my shoulder to see Davenport talking to Leo. "If you want, I could help you train."

"Really?" Spin looked surprised. "Shouldn't you be flirting with Adam?"

"Is it that obvious that I like him?" I questioned. Not waiting for an answer – I already knew what it was – I shook my head. "Anyway, training. Yes or no?"

"Sure." Spin grinned at me and together we headed towards and empty classroom to work on our abilities.

** Bree's POV **

"I have to admit Davenport, this place is pretty sick." Jaden commented, walking with me back into the main classroom with the hydroloop. The room was basically empty, with the exception of Mr. Davenport, who was doing mission reports, and Kieran, who was sitting by the window, too caught up in a book to even notice we were there.

"Well, this academy is my greatest achievement." Mr. Davenport agreed, looking around with a smile. "Out of all the things I've built, this is the thing I'm most proud of."

Suddenly, the hydroloop doors opened up. And although I expected students, or Calla and my brothers to get out, it was something much, much worse.

"Morning Don, morning girl, morning jock, morning nerd." She greeted, her frustratingly annoying voice even grabbing Kieran's attention.

We all stared at her in horror for a moment before Davenport turned to the three of us. "The island is contaminated. Get everyone to the life boats. We can blow it up – I wasn't that attached to it anyways." He said quickly. Kieran walked up to us, his book tucked under his arm.

"Perry? How did you get on the hydroloop?" He questioned, sounding very afraid. And I didn't blame him – we thought we'd finally rid ourselves of Perry.

"I dated the security guard for three weeks to gain his trust." She replied, grinning. "And when that didn't work, I knocked him out and stole his keys."

Mr. Davenport stared at her. "How much ocean do we have to put between us to get away from you?" He demanded, annoyed.

"Ain't enough water in the world." Perry wasn't fazed by his anger. "My webbed toes double as flippers. When I spread them out, they look like baby pterodactyls."

"Why are you here?" Jaden finally asked the most obvious question.

"I retired." She admitted, to our surprise. "The school just wasn't the same without my favourite freaks to torment. I tried, but I just couldn't hate the new kids as much as I hate you guys."

I almost felt touched by that.

Perry looked at Mr. Davenport. "Anywho, a little birdie told me your little school is looking for an administrator."

"Yeah, we're not." He replied instantly. "But tell you what. Leave your résumé and we'll call you if we lose our minds."

"How about a gardener?" Perry suggested.

"No."

"Cook?"

"No."

"Unlicensed therapist?"

"No!"

Perry sighed. "Look, I'm bored and I want to get back in the game. Just tell me what you need. I could be your barber." She looked at my long hair. "Nobody likes a pretty girl with long hair."

I pulled my hair out of her reach as she started to make cutting motions at it. "Okay, the only thing we need is a security guard to keep people like you out." Kieran muttered. Perry latched onto his words immediately.

"Yes! I could be your Head of Security!" She exclaimed. "I've been a warden, a guard…any position in jail, I've held it. Including inmate."

"Sorry Cell-Block Sally, we're not hiring." Mr. Davenport pushed her into the hydroloop, pressing a button to get it going. We watched as it sped away. Unfortunately though, part of Perry's shirt must have gotten caught, the blue piece of fabric hanging from the doors loosely as its owner disappeared.

"Her shirt got stuck!" I exclaimed. We all grimaced at the thought of the sight people would have when Perry arrived on shore.

"Yeah, that's the mainland's problem now." Mr. Davenport decided, walking away from that.

** Sebastian' POV **

"This is ridiculous!" I heard Mr. Davenport exclaim as I walked into the room with Chase. We'd been discussing the possibility of setting up some practice missions on the island – Spin had seemed pretty disappointed about not going on the last one – but we'd decided to see what was going on when Mr. Davenport's class suddenly left the training room.

"What is?" Chase asked, walking up to his father.

"There are too many kids here for me to train them all at the same time!" He exclaimed. "And I don't want a single student to be denied the Donald Davenport experience."

"You mean the Bionic Academy experience." Bree corrected.

"No, you mean the Bionic Academy experience." Davenport retorted. Chase chuckled.

"Hey, maybe I can design a new virtual training simulator. Each group could take turns using it." He suggested. I looked at Bree and smirked.

"Or even better, I could design one that would allow every student to train at the same time." I suggested. If I could pull that off, Bree would definitely be impressed. I mean, I had to be smarter than that dumb chef, right?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Chase quickly tried to shoot down my idea. "If anyone's going to design this thing, it's gonna be me."

"Control freak!"Bree sang from behind him. I bit back a laugh, smiling at her. She was so funny. And pretty.

Mr. Davenport quickly stepped between Chase and I. "How about this? You guys design it, together. After all, two minds are better than one. Unless of course, it's my mind."

Bree looked at that. "And after that, maybe you could build something that will shrink his ego."

"Bree, there's no machine in the world that can do that." Mr. Davenport pointed out. "But if anyone could build it, it would be me."

And with that final, egotistical note, he walked away.

** Rio's POV **

Spin and I trained for a good hour before we had to stop out of exhaustion. Man, that kid could move really fast! But it wasn't like he was getting any hits in – any time he got close, I'd just use my intangibility or 'go ghost girl' like Adam jokingly calls it.

When we were done, we headed past the main classroom on our way to the cafeteria for smoothies.

"Hey Bob." Spin smiled at his friend as we passed him. "What are you doing?"

"Drawing a self portrait." He replied. We both looked down at his tablet.

"That's just a butt." Spin pointed out. Bob shrugged.

"I've gotta start somewhere." He replied. I let out a small laugh.

"Hey, did you want to come get smoothies with us? We were just-" I was cut off by a loud alarm coming from the main computer.

"Whoa, a mission alert." Spin exclaimed. He ran forward and touched the screen to get the details of the mission.

"What's it say?" Bob asked, putting his tablet down.

"A dam broke and a group of hunters got caught in a flash flood." He replied. I nodded.

"I'll get Mr. Davenport, Adam, and the others." I offered, begging to head back down the hall.

"No wait!" Spin's desperate voice made me stop. I turned in place and watched as he quickly erased the mission from the screen.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. Bob nodded.

"Why would you delete a mission alert?" He questioned.

"Because we are going on that mission." Spin decided. I crossed my arms.

"No way, uh-uh." I replied. Bob nodded his agreement.

"I'm not getting in trouble…again." He agreed.

"Rio, Bob and I are the youngest guys here. Until we prove ourselves, no one's going to take us seriously." He pleaded with me. Bob looked at him.

"Look at us; can you blame them?" He demanded. Spin sighed.

"Rio?" He looked at me. "Please. I just want to prove that I'm not the weakest one in the academy."

"Spin…" I sighed. There was no convincing this kid. "Fine. But I'm coming with you."

"Really?" His smile lit up his whole face. I nodded.

"I'm not letting you go alone." I replied. Bob backed away from us.

"Well, leave me out of it." He told us. I sent him a too-innocent smile, the same smile I gave Kieran when I wanted him to do something for me.

"Bob, have I told you about this great restaurant Calla told me about? It's right by a broken damn and I hear they have the best burgers in town." I offered. He hesitated.

"I don't know…" He trailed off. I forced my smile to grow.

"They let you draw butts on the place mats." I lied. His eyes lit up.

"Let's go!" And with that, we all bundled into the hydroloop.

** Sebastian's POV **

"Alright. A few more tweaks and we should be done." Chase and I had gathered a bunch of students to help us finish the virtual simulator, and with their aid, we were pretty much done our task. "I have to admit," I looked up from the object in my hands as Chase walked up to me, "this is working out way better than I thought."

"I know." I agreed. "I figured you were going to ignore me and do all the work yourself."

"And I thought you were going to be totally incompetent!" Chase replied. We laughed together for a minute before another one of my fellow students went flying across the room, landing right next to us with a thud.

Adam walked over, laughing. "What are you doing?" Chase demanded, helping the boy up.

"Trying to see if Carter here has the ability to fly." Adam replied. "So far, the answer is no."

He pushed Carter away while we glared at him. "Can you do that somewhere else?" Chase demanded grumpily. "We're working here."

Adam looked a little peeved. "Fine." He walked away, back to Carter.

I turned back to Chase. "Okay, where were we?"

Before he could respond, Carter was thrown through the air again, this time bumping into Chase. He stumbled slightly, but was able to keep his footing just barely.

"Adam, I thought I told you to do that somewhere else!" Chase shouted, pissed off.

"Yeah. You know, I thought about that, and then I just decided to ignore you." Adam replied with a smirk. He patted Carter on the arm, then they both walked back to their group.

"C'mon Sebastian." Chase grabbed a couple of things in his arms. "Let's move our stuff before one of those idiots break it."

Almost as soon as he said that, Adam flew across the room, hitting Chase right in the back. He hit the ground, the things in his arms sliding across the floor.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, angry and surprised. Chase got to his feet, holding a broken piece of the simulator.

"Adam!" He was really ticked off now. "Look what you did!"

"Hey, don't blame me! Blame Carter." Adam retorted. "He can't fly, but he sure can throw!"

They all walked away laughing, much to our annoyance. "Can you believe him?" Chase complained. "He just ruined all of our hard work."

"Don't worry Chase, we can fix this." I assured him, already coming up with a plan in my mind. "And when we're done, we're gonna need someone to test it on. And I think it's time we give Adam a taste of his own medicine."

Chase picked up on what I was saying immediately, a grin coming to his face. "Where have you been all my life?" He asked, high-fiving me as we set to work.

** Bree's POV **

"So, I was thinking that, after classes…" I was sitting with Jaden at the computer desk in the main lounge area, our fingers entwined as we ignored the rest of the students. "I could show you the outdoor observation platform. It's really cool."

"Sounds fun." He grinned back. He leaned in for a kiss just as Mr. Davenport walked up to us.

"Hey, you guys busy?" He asked.

"Kinda." I replied, not looking away from Jaden. Damn, I missed those sensitive brown eyes of his.

"Well, too bad." Mr. Davenport dragged us back to his problem. "I need you guys to help me test the new video conferencing system."

"Fine. You call us." Jaden grabbed a tablet with his spare hand, his other not leaving my grip.

"Here we go." Mr. Davenport pressed a button. Instead of his face showing up on the tablet though, it was Perry's.

" _You rang?"_  She grinned at us.

"TURN IT OFF, TURN IT OFF!" I screamed, pushing the tablet away from us.

"How'd you break into my secure line?" Mr. Davenport demanded.

Suddenly, Perry popped out from behind a column, sporting a new floral shirt. "Better question is, how did I get into your equipment room to steal this?" She pulled a helmet off her head, showing us the camera on the front of it. Mr. Davenport pulled it away from her, glaring. But she wasn't done. "Or into your bedroom to steal this?"

She whipped out his old black and white cheetah print PJs, the ones we thought we'd seen the last of. "That is island-wear." Mr. Davenport snatched it back from her.

"Man, that's not island-wear, that's just ugly." Kieran commented, walking up to us. "And who let her back on the island?"

"Certainly not us." Jaden replied, his arms crossed.

"Still think you don't need a head of security?" Perry asked.

"No." Mr. Davenport replied harshly. "A couple of more tweaks and I'll have this place locked down tight. And then we will never see you again." He looked at us. "Guys, any parting words?"

"Yes. Get out." I said, watching as Jaden and Kieran both pushed her into the hydroloop.

"But you need me!" Perry whined. Jaden snorted in amusement.

"No, we don't." He replied, closing the hydroloop doors and hitting the buttons to send her back to the mainland. Once again, her shirt got caught in the doors and stayed behind as she left.

"Really?" Mr. Davenport complained. "She needs to start wearing tighter clothes."

Even as he said that, he realized how horrible an idea that was. "No she doesn't." The four of us agreed at once.

** Rio's POV **

Spin, Bob, and I trekked through the dense forest behind the damn, their shoes and my boots (what? A girl needs to accessorize) squishing in the mud.

"I can't believe those rescue workers got to the hunters before we did." Spin muttered dejectedly. He had really been looking forward to proving himself.

"I can't believe we can't find that restaurant." Bob muttered. I smirked.

"I can't believe you still think we're looking for it." I replied back. He shrugged, not really caring either way.

"This is so frustrating!" Spin cried out. He climbed onto a nearby rock "If I don't complete a mission, I'll never prove myself!"

"Spin…" I began, then broke off as I realized something. Either he was getting taller, or Bob and I were getting much, much shorter. I looked down and to my horror, realized that I was knee-high in mud. "We have bigger problems, kiddo."

Frowning, Spin turned towards us. Both Bob and I were stuck in the mud…no, quicksand. It had to be quicksand.

"Is that quicksand?" Spin demanded. I nodded.

"I think so." I shifted the best I could in my position, but my feet were already too deep to pull out. Every attempt I made just seemed to bring me lower into the mud, so I decided to quit while I was ahead…er, while my pants were only partially ruined by the filth.

I noticed that Bob was sinking much faster than me though, and by this point, he was already down to his armpits. "Bob, stop struggling. You'll only make it worse." I told him, trying to remain calm.

"Try using your levitation ability." Spin suggested. Bob nodded.

"Good idea." He focused for a moment, making loud grunting noises.

"Stop!" I exclaimed, my hands reaching towards my ears. "Even if it works, I don't want to hear that anymore."

"What about your intangibility, Rio?" Spin asked hesitantly, looking down at us from the rock. I nodded thoughtfully, activating the ability. However, as I started to sink at a much faster pace, I stopped. After only using it for a few short seconds, I was up to my arm pits in the quicksand.

"Well that was a terrible idea." I muttered. I looked at Spin. "Look, I can't reach my phone, so you use yours to call for help." I told him.

"No!" He snapped quickly. "I can rescue you guys myself. Just close your eyes – I'm going to try and spin you guys out." Closing my eyes tightly, I waited for that plan to epically fail. And it did, Spin's legs getting caught in the quicksand. He ended up stuck in the mud right next to us, standing just a little higher than us. "Oops."

"Now can you call Leo for help?" I asked. He sighed.

"Can't you call Kieran with your Spock Vulcan mind magic thingy?" He asked. "Leo's only going to mock us."

"Fine." I nodded, closing my eyes.

_ Kieran? _  I called hesitantly, unsure if it work from this distance. But when he responded, his voice was crystal clear in my head.

_ What Rio?  _ He sounded frustrated.  _Kinda busy here._

Since it was so unlike him to be so short with me, I frowned.  _Busy doing what? Because I could use your help._

_ I'm trying to keep an evil, possibly cannibalistic, leprechaun off the island! _  He snapped. I frowned and looked at Spin.

"Call Leo." I told him. "Kieran's gone off the deep end."

"Fine." Spin muttered, pulling out his phone. He dialled a few numbers then held it up to his ear. "Leo, it's Spin. It's a long story, but Rio, Bob, and I left the island, and we need your help…Just hurry!"

"Well?" I asked as he hung up.

"He said he'll be right there." He told me. I nodded.

"So, now all we have to do is wait." And wait we did.

** Sebastian's POV **

"You ready?" I asked Chase. He nodded and I walked over to Adam, a large smile plastered on my face. "Hey Adam. How would you like to be the first to test out our new bionic training simulator?"

"You want me to be your human guinea pig?" He questioned. I shrugged.

"I was going to say lab rat, but yeah." I replied bluntly. He grinned.

"I'm in!" He pulled on the vest and goggles with no hesitation. What an idiot.

"The goggles will sync with your bionic chip to give you the ultimate sensory experience." I explained, helping Chase set up the vest.

"Anything that happens in the virtual world will feel totally real." Chase added.

"What's the vest for?" He asked. Chase and I exchanged grins.

"That part's a surprise." He replied. Adam grinned.

"I love surprises." He told us. I chuckled. He wouldn't like surprises after this.

I pressed a button on the main consol for the device and watched as Adam looked around in amazement. "It looks like I'm in a jungle."

Chase and I grinned. It was working. "And what do you feel?"

"I feel like I'm in the jungle with you talking to me." Okay, I should have expected that one. Then Chase pressed the button that would send out our little surprise.

"Aw look!" Adam cooed, reaching out to pet the head of an invisible animal. "It's a cute, little monkey."

It wasn't very cute for long. "Aw, and he's holding a cute little bazooka." Adam noticed. Then he stepped back, away from the virtual monkey. "Wait, why is he holding a bazooka?"

I hit a button on the consol and Adam ducked down fast. "Ahh! He shot at me! That's it, I'm going to use my heat vision."

"That doesn't work in a virtual world." Chase pointed out as I pressed another button.

Adam looked around in horror. "Oh no, the monkey called for back up. Now there's a ton of them. Ow!" He flinched backwards as he was continuously shot at by the monkeys. "Ah, they got me! Man, that didn't feel virtual at all."

"Wait until you feel this!" Chase exclaimed, hitting buttons quickly. Adam flinched and grunted in pain each time one of the monkeys attacked him, leaving me and Chase and I laughing our heads off.

"Wait, does this thing have any weapons I can use?" Adam demanded.

"Of course." I replied, smirking.

"Thank God." Adam sighed in relief.

"But unfortunately, those are sold separately." Chase added. Adam spun to face us.

"WHAT?!" He demanded before being hit again by the monkeys. God, this was way too much fun.

** Bree's POV **

"Okay." Mr. Davenport finally climbed out of the hydroloop after a half hour of working on it. By this point, Jaden, Kieran and I were the only ones left in the room due to everyone else's impatience. "I've reset the security settings."

"So the island is finally on lockdown? Nobody in, nobody out?" I confirmed. He nodded.

"Yep. And I control it all with this one remote." He reached into his pocket to show us the remote, but came up empty. "You lost it?" Kieran questioned incredulously. Mr. Davenport sent him a glare.

"No." He snapped just as that annoying voice hit our ears once more.

"Yoo-hoo!" We spun around to see Perry sitting on a rope outside the window, the remote in her spare hand. "Looking for this."

"I have to admit it," Jaden sighed, shaking his head at her. "She is pretty persistent."

** Rio's POV **

Leo was taking far too long for my liking. By the time anyone actually showed up, Spin, Bob, and I were already up to our necks in quicksand.

"What's taking Leo so long?" Spin demanded, his tone betraying his frustration.

"Maybe he got stuck in quicksand too." Bob replied. I shrugged, well I tried too. The mud made it hard.

"He probably got lost." I decided.

"Well you guys weren't exactly easy to find." Calla complained, stepping out from the bushes with Leo. Both of them were careful not to touch the pool of quicksand in any way, instead sticking to the edge of the clearing.

"Well, well, well." Leo smirked. I looked over my shoulder at Calla.

"I hope you guys got a plan." I commented. She nodded.

"Don't worry." She assured me. Leo nodded.

"Yeah, but first things first." He pulled out his phone and dropped to his knees beside us, taking a selfie. He laughed, standing back up. "I'm sorry, but this is hilarious."

Calla crossed her arms, carefully walking over to stand by Leo. "What are you guys even doing here?"

"Well, we got a mission alert about-" Spin began, but broke off when he saw the looks on Calla and Leo's face.

"Mission alert?" Calla repeated.

"You three went on a mission alone? Why would you do that?" Leo demanded.

"Well I was promised a fine dining experience." Bob defended himself. I shrugged.

"I came to keep these bozos out of trouble." I explained. Calla raised an eyebrow at that.

"Well you're doing a fine job." She commented sarcastically. She glanced down at Spin. "And you?"

He sighed. "I just wanted to prove that I was ready to go on missions. Just like you guys did."

Leo sighed. "The only difference is, I was awesome and you're stuck in mud. Ow!" He turned to glare at Calla as she kicked him in the back. She returned the look with an even more frightening glare, causing Leo to shrink back slightly. He turned back to us. "Alright, I get it. But just like Big D said, focus on your training. Trust me, you'll get there."

"Thanks Leo." Spin smiled up at him. I rolled my eyes.

"Look, if we're done with the whole touchy-touchy feelings moment, can you get us out of here?" I questioned, starting to grow impatient. Leo got to his feet and looked around.

"I got an idea." Calla told him, nodding at a small tree. Leo picked up on what she was thinking right away and grabbed the tree trunk and lifting it out of the ground with ease. We watched it warily.

"What are you doing with that?" Spin questioned. Bob shut his eyes fearfully.

"I think they're going to put us out of our misery." He whimpered. I shook my head at him.

"I'm pretty sure that Mr. Davenport might kill them for that." I pointed out. Calla laughed.

"Maybe, you never know." She smiled. "And we're not going to hurt you, Bob."

"We're not?" Leo looked confused. "Then why'd I grab this?"

"Leo's going to use the tree branch as a lever to push you guys out from below." Calla explained, sending a warning look at said boy. He nodded and pushed the stick into the mud. Then when we was sure it was tucked safely under our arms, he backed up and pushed down on one end of the branch.

To our genuine surprise, the plan actually worked. In no time, Spin, Bob, and I were out of the mud and standing on dry land. "You saved us!" Bob exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Spin and I followed him, looking down at the pit.

"That was awesome." Spin grinned. I, however, was horrified.

"God, I look like a mess." I complained. Calla smirked.

"That's the problem about going on missions – you never come out of them spotless." She went to pat my mud covered shoulder, but evidently thought better of it. "Come on. You can get cleaned up back at the academy."

"Oh no!" Spin suddenly exclaimed. "I lost my phone!"

"I'll get it!" Bob offered, and before we could stop him, he leapt into the quicksand puddle. When he got stuck once again, he looked at us. "Oops."

Spin turned to Calla and Leo. "Can't we just leave him here?" He asked hopefully.

"I'm thinking about it." Leo muttered.

** Sebastian's POV **

The Adam torture went on for a long, long time. And it was awesome, I have to admit. Besides, it was pretty much the first time in a long time that Chase and I actually got along.

Eventually though, Adam left the room, apparently running from virtual lava.

"That was awesome!" Chase exclaimed, high-fiving me. "We work pretty well together."

"Yeah we do." I agreed. "You might even say we're becoming…friends."

Chase looked impressed by that. "Yeah, which is pretty weird considering that you and the others tried to kill us." He commented. I frowned, confused.

"You know, I still haven't gotten that whole story." I mentioned, trying to think past the blanks in my memory. "What actually happened?"

Chase looked hesitant to tell me, but did anyway. "Well," his smile faded, "I'm probably not supposed to say anything, but…the guy who created you was pure evil."

Our dad was evil? How could that be? "His name was Victor Krane." Chase continued. "He controlled your minds and he made you his bionic soldiers."

I frowned. "Why would he do that if he was our father?"

"It was all part of his twisted plan to build a superior bionic race." Chase explained. A superior bionic race? Was it really that bad of an idea though? I mean, out of all the humans I'd met so far, the only decent ones I'd seen were Calla and Davenport.

"The only way to stop him was to take him out." That made me freeze. Hold on, my father was…he was dead? I stared at Chase, wide-eyed. "So we did what we had to do?"

He killed my father. Bree and Adam helped him kill my father. I mean…whoa. "…Wow." I murmured, knowing that Chase was waiting for a reaction.

"Yeah." He nodded solemnly, completely unaware of all the thoughts swirling around my head. "But at least you're safe now."

Safe? Did he really think that was the part I was focusing on? I mean, if they killed my father, how did we know they wouldn't eventually turn on us? "Yeah." I muttered half-heartedly. "I guess I'm just lucky that Mr. Davenport was nice enough to take us in."

Chase nodded, opening his mouth to say something else, but he never got the chance. Adam ran in, his arms flailing. "They're still after me! I can't take it anymore! Shut it off, shut it off!" He ran straight into the nearest wall, earning a laugh from Chase. "Ow! That wall felt so real!"

** Rio's POV **

Unfortunately for us, any attempt to sneak back into the Academy unnoticed failed the second we stepped out of the hydroloop. It was almost as if Mr. Davenport was waiting for us.

"Where were you guys?" He questioned, taking in our filthy appearance.

"On a mission." Bob replied cheerfully.

"WHAT?!" Mr. Davenport demanded, causing us all to step back a bit.

"It's okay." Bob hastened to reassure him. "Don't worry. We didn't help anyone."

"Calla, Leo, how could you two take them on a mission without my permission?" Mr. Davenport demanded.

Both of them looked like they were about to object, but Spin beat them to the punch. "No, they didn't take us on a mission." He said quickly. "They saved us. It was all my fault. If it wasn't for Calla and Leo, we wouldn't be standing here right now."

"Yeah, we'd probably still be stuck in that quicksand pit." I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Mr. Davenport looked at them, surprised.

"Is that true?" He asked. Calla nodded.

"Well, we don't want to brag but…" she glanced at Leo. "But we were there. And we were awesome."

"Alright then. Wow." Mr. Davenport looked impressed. He looked at us. "You three head over to the capsule dorms and get cleaned up. We'll discuss this later."

"Yes sir." We nodded and started down the hall. I stopped by the doorway though and listened in on the rest of the conversation.

"Wow Leo," Mr. Davenport put his hands on Leo's shoulder as Calla walked away, presumably to go find her boyfriend. "It sounds like you really stepped up, and acted like a true bionic hero."

I smiled. Leo deserved the praise. "I think it's time we bump you up a color." Mr. Davenport continued.

Leo's eyes widened. "Really?" He exclaimed. "Yes!"

Suddenly, Bob walked out from the hydroloop. I frowned. Hadn't he just passed me on the way down to the boy's dorms?

"Bob, I thought I told you to go down to the dorms." Mr. Davenport stated. Bob nodded.

"You told that to Bob, but I'm not Bob." He pressed a button on his neck and transformed into a short, red haired lady that vaguely reminded me of a leprechaun. Maybe Kieran hadn't lost his mind after all.

"Ah! Who let that in here?" Leo screamed, eyes wide. "Stay away, evil woman!"

Mr. Davenport stepped in front of Leo. "Perry, where'd you get hat cyber cloak?"

"From your equipment room." This 'Perry' woman replied. "Which, by the way, is still not secure. You know, if I was your head of security, I could have stopped those three runts from sneaking out and no one would have to know that you wear these."

I didn't know what was more offensive – that she called me a runt, or that someone was crazy enough to create those atrocious pyjamas.

Mr. Davenport snatched the PJs back from her. "You're not going to stop this until I give you this job, are you?"

"Nope." Perry smirked. "And I've got nothing but time. The average lifespan of a Perry is 112 years. And I'm one of the healthy ones."

If that was healthy, I didn't want to see an unhealthy Perry. "Okay, fine." Mr. Davenport agreed reluctantly. "You win. You're hi…hired."

Judging by the look on Leo's face, that wasn't such a good idea. Perry, however, looked very pleased with herself.

Said boy started walking towards the hydroloop. "Leo, where are you going?" Mr. Davenport asked.

"To bury myself in quicksand!" He exclaimed, panic edging into his tone.

"Rio?" I started, surprised at the sound of my name. I spun around to face Adam, who was frowning at me. Well, my mud covered attire.

"A-Adam!" I stuttered. God, I looked like crap. He probably thought I did, anyway. But he just raised an eyebrow.

"Rough day?" He asked. I nodded. "You alright?"

"I'm okay." I assured him. He smiled then, a real wide smile.

"Well, I know how to make it better." He told me. I raised an eyebrow, curious. "Get changed, then meet me on the roof at ten o'clock."

"Aren't Sebastian and Chase going some sort of virtual simulator demo?" I asked, confused. He grimaced.

"Trust me, that's something you don't want to try. They have evil monkeys." I decided to take his word on that. "Now, c'mon. Please?"

"Fine. I'll meet you on the roof at ten." I agreed.

** Xxx **

"Adam?" I called, stepping onto the roof. After getting dressed into some normal clothes – a light blue blouse and a white skirt that Calla insisted I borrow – I'd made my way to the roof.

"Wow." I turned to see Adam sitting on a blanket on the roof, also dressed in nice, non-uniform clothes. Man, that boy looked good in a t-shirt. "You look great."

"Thanks." I sat down beside him, finally noticing the tray of strawberries and chocolate dip. There was also a telescope next to us, the stars twinkling brightly in the sky. "Strawberries?"

"Kieran said it was your favourite." He replied, smiling at me hopefully.

"I love them." I leaned forward, and grabbed one. Playing with it in my hands. "So, what is this exactly?"

"Our first date." Adam replied, a confidence in his tone. I smiled at that. Yeah, I liked that. His grin grew a second later and he nodded upwards. "Check it out."

When I looked up, I could see a comet flying through the air, a bright streak in the sky. "Make a wish." I murmured. He smirked.

"I've already got what I want." He replied, leaning in and pressing his lips against mine. For such a playful, roughhousing boy, his kiss was surprisingly gentle and deep. And I wondered how tonight could get any better.

** Sebastian's POV **

"Show time." I muttered to myself, looking around. This had to go off perfectly if I wasn't going to get caught. And I really didn't want to get caught.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Chase exclaimed, stepping onto a raised bench in the middle of the training room. The entire school was gathered to see our simulator. Well, most of the school. Rio and Adam were nowhere to be seen, but that didn't really matter to much to us. We already had a good idea of what they were doing. "Chase Davenport and Sebastian…" He trailed off before continuing, "…Last Name to be Determined, proudly present to you the future of bionic education. The bionic training simulator. Now to demonstrate, we'll need a volunteer."

As most people had seen what we did to Adam, there were no volunteers. Good, just the way I wanted it. "How about Mr. Davenport?" I suggested. "I mean, he is the reason we're all here."

Davenport looked surprised, but merely smiled. "What? Me, be the center of attention? I couldn't." Even as he said this, he jumped onto the simulator platform.

"Go ahead and power up the mainframe." I told him. He nodded.

"Alrighty." He reached forward, pressed the button, and…POW! The machine blasting him into the air, Davenport hit the far wall, hitting the ground hard.

"Mr. Davenport!" Bree cried. She, Leo, Chase, Jaden, and Calla ran towards him.

"Big D, are you alright?" Leo asked when he didn't get up.

"I think so." Davenport groaned, rubbing his chest. Damn it! That blast was supposed to take care of things.

"I don't get it." Chase frowned, confused. "Our design was flawless."

"Focus on that later." Calla was already pulling Davenport to his feet. "Help me get him to the med bay."

"Good idea." I exclaimed, trying to sound helpful. "Go!"

I glared at them as they left, helping the injured man. "You took away my father. I'm gonna take away yours." I growled angrily.


	4. Bionic Rebellion

** Sebastian's POV **

It was about a week after Davenport's 'accident' with the simulator, and things were going good. And by good, I mean that no one suspected that anything was wrong, not even the man himself.

Davenport was on some trip to the mainland and was supposed to get back sometime today. Which worked rather well with my agenda, if I do say so myself. For the time being, however, I was stuck playing the good kid, training with Chase and acting like I was still their friend.

Meanwhile, my other friends were training with the other mentors, no one aware of how they really felt. I watched as Lexi, a dark haired girl with the same level as me, knocked Bree onto her butt in a second, while Tank, a tall, not so bright strongman, dominated Adam at arm wrestling. Over at the far corner, Kieran and Calla were sparring with bo staffs, reminding me slightly of a kung-fu movie I'd seen the other night.

"Looks like we've all learned a lot from you guys." I mentioned to Chase. He nodded. "Pretty soon, I might even be smarter than you."

He laughed at that, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Don't ever say that again." He warned, his voice dead serious.

"Good morning everyone." Leo called, walking into the training area with a relaxed look on his face. I listened in on their conversation while Chase walked over to Calla to discuss the possibility of merging their classes later to recap some old mission that they did.

"Not for me." Spin complained. "Bob kept me up all night with his snoring."

He'd kept everyone up all night, actually. But since Spin had been stuck with the capsule right next to Bob, I decided not to point that out and let the kid complain.

"It's not my fault." Bob defended himself. "You try breathing with this thing. I've got a Spin sized nose on a Bob sized body."

I chuckled, but the smile faded from my face as Davenport walked in, still dressed in mainland clothes. "Greetings everyone, I have return-th from the mainland!" He raised his hands dramatically, smacking Leo in the face.

"And no one care-th!" Leo raised his hands dramatically, getting his revenge by smacking Davenport in the face.

Davenport sent him a glare before looking at the lack of response from the group. "Aw, c'mon! No fanfare, no balloons, no rousing round of applause?"

"I didn't even know you were gone." Bob replied honestly. Spin shrugged.

"If you're looking for an applause, try adding a couple more bathrooms to the student dorm, maybe just one exclusively for Bob."

Bob nodded. "I've got to agree. It ain't pretty in there."

"I'm gonna take your word for it." Davenport nodded. "Guys?" He gestured at the hall.

Chase, Calla, Leo, Adam, Bree, and I followed him out into the hall. "So, how have things been going here without me?"

"Amazing!" Bree replied in a too happy voice. Davenport frowned at her, and she quickly changed her attitude. "I mean…uh…we missed you." She made a heart with her hands, frowning at him adorably. Damn it, why did the girl who killed my dad have to be cute?

"Don't worry, Mr. Davenport." I assured him. "Adam, Bree, Calla, and Chase have been doing a great job. They're amazing mentors."

"Well good." Davenport smiled. "Maybe I can cut my trip short and head back to the mainland tomorrow."

"Cool, he finally got the hint." Adam commented. Mr. Davenport gave him a look. "I mean…she loves you." It took Adam a full minute to figure out how to make a heart shape with his hands.

"Not so fast, Don." Perry, the obnoxious new security guard, walked up to us. "Things around here aren't as peachy as the droid-babies say they are."

"Really?" Jaden walked up to us, grabbing Bree's hand while looking down on Perry. "Name on problem, Sergeant Short-Stack."

Perry glared up at the taller boy for a second, then looked at her pad of paper. "Litter in the hallway."

"That was you." Bree pointed out.

"Making rude gestures to passing coast guard ships." She continued.

"Also you." Adam added.

"And sneaking extra dessert from the cafeteria." She finished.

"Yeah, that was you." Jaden argued. She glared at him.

"Prove it." She retorted.

"You're wearing the evidence!" Chase gestured at her slightly dirty outfit.

"No." She replied. "That was from a different stolen meal."

"Great." Mr. Davenport sighed. "You're my head of security and you're the one breaking all the rules."

"Well, I know I didn't steal the spare key cards from my own security office. So it had to be one of your students."

Davenport looked amused by the very though. "These kids would not steal your key cards." He told me. "Knowing you, you probably lost them."

"Hey!" Perry snapped. "I will not have my employees talk to me like that!"

You work for me!" Mr. Davenport retorted. Perry snorted in amusement.

"Keep telling yourself that, boss-man." She replied. Everyone rolled their eyes and, having better things to do, walked away. She followed them, trying to regain their attention to no success. I watched them leave, then smirked, pulling the set of key cards out of my pocket.

"Getting revenge on all of you is going to be easier than I thought." I decided, smirking to myself. Way easier than I thought.

** Chase's POV **

As usual, Calla, my siblings, and I were up in our dorm room, checking out the new features added to it. It was already pretty cool when we got here – I mean, we had a freaking pool in our bedroom – but since then, we'd sort of customized it, adding a few weight sets for Adam, a makeup vanity for Bree, and a super computer for me. With all of that, plus the pool, the fireplace, the massive HDTV and the incredible décor, it was at least a hundred times better than any of us could have ever imagined it.

"So, how do you like your new living quarters?" It was the first time Mr. Davenport's first time up here since we'd moved in.

"I love them." Bree smiled widely. "We went from a dingy basement to paradise. It's like we won the lottery. Or finally got a parent who cares about us."

I chuckled from my spot in the arm chair, looking over some of the reading material Calla had brought us from the mainland.

"Yeah. I mean, people would pay to stay here." Adam grinned. "Oh, that reminds me. I rented the place to an Australian family for the month of August. I hope that's cool."

We all looked at him, but decided not to argue. We'd deal with the Australian family when the time came. "Guys, you're forgetting the best part. You finally get to share a room with me. Isn't that awesome?"

"Wait, this is a permanent thing?" Bree questioned. Leo's smile faded.

"Leo, we only let you sleep on the couch because you threw a tantrum when you were assigned to live in the student dorm." I pointed out.

"I do not throw tantrums." Leo defended himself. "I just express my passion through tears."

Calla laughed a little at that, then leaned in towards me. "Don't worry. I've been refurbishing one of the spare bedrooms in my spare time, so he'll get his own room soon enough." She assured me. "It's probably for the best – Leo's only partially bionic. It might not be all that healthy for him to sleep in a capsule every night."

"Good idea." I replied, moving my book so she could sit down on my lap. "By the way, Bree and Jaden were going to go watch a movie later and Adam's supposedly taking Rio star gazing tonight. Help me get rid of Leo and maybe could go swimming."

"Sounds fun." Calla's eyes lit up happily just as the door opened. Bob, Sebastian, Spin, and Kieran walked in. "Hey dudes." Bob greeted, stopping next to Bree's chair. "'Sup Boo."

"No, Bob." Bree didn't look up from her magazine as she rejected the boy.

"I love you too." He replied, not offended at all.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Mr. Davenport asked, walking up to them.

"Just came to say hi." Sebastian replied, a bright smile on his face. "See how you guys were doing. Make sure everything's okay."

"We're here to see how the mentors live." Spin admitted, looking around. "Ocean view, fireplace…is that a swimming pool?"

"Wow! I've never seen one before." Bob grinned. He glanced at Bree. "Why don't you throw on a bikini and show me how it works?"

"Not happening." Bree snapped. Sebastian looked at the capsules, then at Calla.

"Where do you sleep, Calla? Not in here, I assume." He mentioned. She shook her head.

"No, my room's down the hall." She mentioned. Spin looked at her.

"Let me guess, you have your own swimming pool too." He accused.

"No." Calla shook her head. "I have a hot tub. And a super computer. And a vending machine."

"You have a vending machine in your bedroom?" Bob demanded. She shrugged.

"I like candy, alright? Don't judge me!" She snapped. I laughed, pulling her closer to me.

"You're adorable when you get defensive." I told her, kissing her on the nose. She smiled, entwining our hands.

"Alright, tour's over." Kieran decided, looking at us. Spin ignored him and looked at Mr. Davenport.

"Hey, if Leo's a student, why does he get to live in the mentor quarters?" He demanded.

"Because I'm more than a student." Leo replied. "I'm family, which is another way of saying adios."

Most of them left, though Sebastian hovered near the door, not ready to leave yet. Mr. Davenport looked at us.

"You know, this dorm is pretty great. I might just bunk in here with you guys." He mentioned.

"That's okay." "We're good." "Please get out." Bree, Adam, and Leo started pushing him towards the door. Sebastian walked up to Calla and I.

"Hey Chase, I needed to talk to you." He mentioned. He gave Calla a look a second later when she hadn't moved. "Now."

"Right, sorry." Calla climbed off of my lap. "I'll be down in the cafeteria with Jay if you guys need me."

We watched her walk away, then Sebastian turned back to me. "What's up?" I asked, standing up and stretching.

"I've just been meaning to ask you, am I doing okay with my training?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course." I assured him. "You're the best student here, by far."

"Well, I did learn from the best." He complimented me. I smiled. Wow, it had been a long time since someone, aside from Calla of course, had called me that.

"Say it again, but slower." I wanted to savour that moment. Sebastian smirked.

"I just get so bored of using the same abilities all the time. I wish I could unlock a new one like you did." He looked at me. "You think you could do it for me?"

I shook my head. "No way. Only Mr. Davenport is authorized to do that. I could get into serious trouble."

"You're right." Sebastian nodded. "I shouldn't have even asked. I just didn't think it was such a big deal. I mean, I thought we were best friends."

Best friends? Not even at Mission Creek had I had anyone I could call my best friend. I mean, Adam, Bree, and Leo were my family, and Calla was my girlfriend, but aside from them, I was the nerd that everyone avoided. "We are!" I called Sebastian back instantly, not wanting to lose this chance.

"Don't worry about it." Sebastian told me. "It's totally cool."

I sighed. "Wait!" I stopped him at the door. "I'll do it. But you can't tell anyone."

"I promise." Sebastian grinned. "Thanks Chase. We really are best friends."

Suddenly, I had an idea. "Can you say that again?" I requested, pulling out my phone. "I want to make it my ringtone."

** Calla's POV **

"Alright everybody!" Chase called as the two of us walked into main training area. Bree and Adam had given us their classes for the day so we could go over old missions with the students. It would be a good opportunity to discuss the types of decisions that the students would have to make on their own missions in the futures and what mistakes they should avoid doing.

"Today, we're going to go step-by-step through a real life missing where we had to shut down a particle collider." Chase declared. Leo perked up instantly, remembering how we intervened and prevented Adam, Bree, and Chase from getting themselves killed.

"I was there!" He told the rest of the students. "I was also on that mission. In fact, Calla and I had to rush in there to push these guys out of harm's way. That's right, I mentored the mentors."

"Liar." Spin accused, rolling his eyes. "You weren't there."

"Actually, he was. Twice." I added. Spin frowned. "Well, we had the present, fourteen year old version with us, along with the twenty-one year old version from the future."

Again, I got confused looks. "It's a long story. Like Chase said, we're going to be going through this step-by-step."

"Look, I don't even know why I'm in the same group as these amateurs." Leo complained to Chase and I. "They're the ones that need to learn, not me."

"You know what I don't need to learn?" Spin challenged. "How to kick your butt!"

"Can you even reach that high?" Leo questioned.

"You're about to find out." Spin spat. I grabbed Leo by the back of his collar, pulling him back so that they couldn't fight.

"That's enough!" I snapped. "Act your age!"

"Hey, nerds!" Perry's head poked into the room before anyone could reply. "I need the two of you out here, now."

Chase and I nodded. "Leo, we'll be right back. You lead the class." Chase told his step-brother as we walked out.

"That was a terrible decision." I mentioned. Chase looked at me.

"Yeah, but we should only be gone for a few minutes." He replied. "How much trouble can they get into during that time?"

"Fair point." I sat down at the seat next to the main consol. "What's going on Perry?"

She shook her head, then gestured at the other hall. Davenport, Bree, Jaden, and Adam were jogging down it, all looking confused.

"What's wrong? Why'd you call us down here during our spare?" Bree questioned.

"Someone stole explosives from the weapons area." Perry declared as soon as everyone was in earshot.

"What?" We all stared at her.

"Oh, no worries." Adam assured us. "All we have to do is wait for someone to explode and boom. That's our guy."

"Oh, I already know who do it." Perry assured us. "The creepy looking student. You know, dark hair, whiny voice, always making googly eyes at Bree."

"Sebastian?" Chase questioned. "No, he wouldn't do that, he's my best friend." We looked at him. "We talked about. We're official now."

I frowned. "Not sure if I should be jealous or amused." I mused aloud. Chase sent me a look before looking back at Perry.

"He wouldn't do that." He told her.

"Well, I scanned the surveillance tape and he's the only one who was in that area." Perry replied. "It all adds up. First, he stole my key cards. Then he broke into the weapons' area. Now, if I were a criminal, which I'm not because community service cleared my record, I'd say that his next move is to blow this place to smithereens."

"Look, you can't just go around accusing students without any proof." Mr. Davenport told her. "And the last time I checked, hoarding feral cats does not count as community service!"

"It does when you're dating an animal control officer." Perry snapped. Suddenly, her gaze latched onto something behind us. Sebastian was standing around, talking to two of the other students. "There's the perp right there."

"Then why don't we just settle this?" I suggested. I looked at the students and cleared my voice loudly. "Luke, Anika, can you two please join Leo in the training center? We need to talk to Sebastian. It's important."

"Sure." Luke nodded at me as he and his friend walked into the training area. Sebastian headed over to us, looking slightly confused.

"What's going on?" He asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Where're you headed, Sebby?" Perry questioned, getting right into his face before we could say anything. "Out for a stroll, a little break between classes? GIVE ME THOSE EXPLOSIVES!"

Mr. Davenport grabbed the short woman, pulling her back before she could rip Sebastian's face off. "What's she talking about? What explosives?" Sebastian questioned, looking at us for an explanation.

"She thinks that you stole explosives from the weapons area." Bree explained.

"What?" Sebastian stared at us. "Why would I do that?"

"Don't play coy with me. I'll find those explosives." She snapped. "I have the nasal cavity of a bomb sniffing dog. Literally. That's what I get for saving a few bucks on a nose job in New Guinea."

"Look, let's just all go down to the weapons area and figure out what's going on." Mr. Davenport decided.

"Suit yourself." Adam replied. "I'm more interested in Perry's dog nose."

"Come on." I grabbed Adam by the arm, pushing him forward. "Let's just get this over with before Leo starts torturing the other students."

** Xxx **

When we got down to the weapons area, the explosives were all still there. All of them were lying in the same spot Davenport had put them when we moved into this place. Why he insisted on having the explosives here and not a warehouse was beyond me – I mean, we were pretty armed with all these weapons, did we really need something that could destroy the whole facility? – but here they were, just as they'd been left.

"But it's impossible!" Perry spluttered, stunned by their appearance. "They were gone!"

"Yep, and so were the dinosaurs." Bree commented. "But, through the magic of cinema, we get to see them again."

Jaden chuckled at Bree's teasing. "Perry, are you sure you didn't just imagine them missing?"

"No!" Perry glared at him before looking back at the weapons. "This is fishy. Somebody took these and put them back."

"Well, we are in the middle of the ocean. Maybe it was a mermaid." Chase joked. Adam grinned.

"Yeah, or a dolphin." He added, starting an arguing between him and Chase about the possibility of a dolphin stealing the explosives.

Ignoring them, Mr. Davenport turned to Perry. "Look, I appreciate you trying to do a good job, but I think you're being a bit overzealous."

"He's right." Jaden nodded. "This isn't Mission Creek High where every student is guilty until proven more guilty."

"Understood?" Mr. Davenport asked. She mumbled her response, so he repeated himself. "Understood?"

"Yes Don!" She snapped.

"And another thing!" Mr. Davenport continued as we walked away. "My name is not Don, you call me Mr. Davenport."

"Sorry Don." Perry growled. I groaned, grabbing Chase's hand and pulling him ahead of the others.

"Want to take an early lunch?" I asked. He nodded.

"Good idea. Bree, Adam, you guys coming with?" He asked. They nodded. "What about you, Jaden?"

"Actually, I already made at least a dozen pizzas that are still in the over for students to grab. I was going to head to the mainland. Do a grocery run and maybe check in with my mom."

"Tell her I said hi and that I miss her." I told him before we started talking about what he should grab from the store, the explosives pushed to the backs of our minds.

** Sebastian's POV **

"Are you sure this is working?" I asked impatiently. We were up in Chase's dorm room, trying to unlock a new ability for me to use. "I don't think these sensors are doing any-" Chase pressed a button and suddenly, I could feel new power running through my veins, "-whoa."

"There you go." Chase told me. "We just unlocked you a brand new ability. All I had to do was access your chip using Mr. Davenport's secret password. FYI, I also accidently tapped into your digestive system. You're now allergic to papaya."

I never liked papaya anyway. Now, all I had to do was figure out how to get Chase out of the room so I could access his computer. Luckily, the supercomputer video conference system turned on, Calla's face appearing in the screen. Leave it to the human to unknowingly help me out.

"Chase, I need you in the common area. There's a situation." She told him, either not noticing me, or ignoring me.

"What is it?" Chase asked, confused. I tried to hide the smirk from my face. Ah, so they'd finally figured out that I blew up the hydroloop tunnel. Took them long enough – it had almost been thirty minutes since Davenport, Perry, and Jaden had left.

"If I wanted everyone to know what was going on, I wouldn't have used the word situation to describe it." Calla retorted. Yep, she definitely knew about the blown up tunnel. She only got that snappy when she was worried/stressed. "Now get your ass down here ASAP."

The screen cut out then, going back to the normal blue-wavy desktop. Chase turned to me. "Quick, put those sensors away and meet me downstairs."

"Yeah go! I'll be right there!" I called after him. I waited until I was sure he was gone, then started going through his computer.

** Chase's POV **

"Took you long enough." Calla muttered as I raced towards them, confused..

"What's going on?" I demanded, ignoring her comment.

"There was an explosion in the hydroloop tunnel." Bree explained.

"No, there was a situation in the hydroloop tunnel." Adam corrected her. Calla rolled her eyes at him.

"Perry must have been right about somebody stealing the explosives." She told me. I nodded.

"Who was on it? Mr. Davenport?" I questioned. She nodded.

"Jaden and Perry too, by the looks of it. Everyone else is accounted for." She informed me. I nodded again.

"Right. Bree, go check the weapons area to see if anything else is missing." I ordered, using my mission-leader tone. She raced away, disappearing in a blur. "Adam, try to get Mr. Davenport on the phone, see if he's alright. Calla, you and I need to put this place on lockdown until we figure out what's going on."

"Wait." Calla stopped me for a moment. "Before you do that, let me into the training area. Someone's going to need to keep the peace, and I don't think Leo's gotten enough of the other students' respect to do s yet."

"Good idea." I nodded, waiting until she slipped into the training area to shut down every exit in the school. "Attention students." I called over the intercom system. "Remain where you are. The academy is on lock down. I repeat, the academy is on lockdown. This is NOT a drill."

** Calla's POV **

" _Attention students._   _Remain where you are. The academy is on lock down."_  I watched as the doors to the training room slowly slid shut, locking tightly. The students, who had been running laps for reasons I wasn't sure I wanted to know, stopped where they were, confusion on all of their faces. _"I repeat, the academy is on lockdown. This is NOT a drill."_

"What's going on?" Most of the students surrounded me. I raised my hands slightly.

"Relax guys." I told them, my voice as soothing as possible. A group of panicked bionic students was not something I needed to deal with. "There's a small situation going on, but everything's alright. This is just a precaution."

"Are we in some sort of danger?" One student called.

"Is it the government?" Another one shouted.

"No, it's not the government. And everything will be fine so long as we all stay calm, alright?"

"What's going on?" Students shouted. I sighed. Okay, the truth would only make things worse.

"Look, guys, you've all met Perry, right?" They nodded. "Well she's freaking out about someone stealing eggs and toilet paper from the supply cupboard. It's merely an overreaction and we have to wait here until Mr. Davenport gets back to order her to let us out. Alright?"

That seemed to palacate a number of them. Most obviously didn't believe me, but were unable to think of what could really be going on. So after a few seconds, they mostly settled down, either talking to their friends or pacing impatiently.

Suddenly, I was pulled to the side by Leo, Rio, and Kieran. "Okay, now we want the truth, Parker." Leo hissed. I looked around, trying to make sure no one else was listening.

"Look, some of the explosives in the weapons room went missing and there was an explosion in the hydroloop tunnel." I explained softly.

"Was anyone hurt?" Rio asked immediately.

"We don't know. Right now, we're just trying to get all the facts straight." I told her. I looked at them. "Have you noticed anyone acting strange?" I asked. They all shook their heads. "Great, so we can't get a hold of Davenport, and we have no suspects. Just wonderful."

I looked back at the door, suddenly wishing that I was on the other side. I didn't know why, but I had a pit of worry growing in my stomach. Something bad was about to happen, I was sure.

** Chase's POV **

"The explosives are gone!" Bree declared, speeding back into the room. "Somebody used holograms as a decoy."

"Yeah, Mr. Davenport's not answering. Neither is Jaden." Adam told me, walking back over to me. Damn. Okay, had to think.

"This is crazy. Do you really think that one of our own students would blow up the hydroloop tunnel?" I demanded.

"I'm gonna go with yes." We turned to see Sebastian standing by the hydroloop tunnel, the look on his face really reminding me of Marcus.

"Sebastian?" I looked at him. "What are you doing?"

"Is it not clear?" He asked, stepping forward. "I'm turning on you."

"It was clear to me." Adam mentioned. Then he frowned. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Taking my family back." Sebastian declared, his tone angry.

"I thought we were your fam-" He cut me off, shaking his head.

"No." He said. "Families fight together for what's right. At least that's what my father believed before you took him out."

"Your father?" Bree repeated as I began to completely regret telling Sebastian the truth. "How does he know about Krane?"

Sebastian smirked. "Well my buddy, Chase, told me all about him. He told me all sorts of things."

"Great!" Adam glared at me furiously. "Did you also tell him that I've been wearing his shoes?"

I didn't answer, my gaze locked on Sebastian. "I always wondered where we came from." He continued. "Luckily Chase put the pieces together for me."

"Sebastian, Krane was e-" I tried to explain to him, but he once again interrupted me.

"My father." He finished, "thought for what he believed, that bionic humans are superior. And when his beliefs were challenged a non-bionic human named Davenport, he fought back."

"And he lost." Adam pointed out.

"And that's why I'm going to carry on his legacy." Sebastian declared, raising his head high. "See, you took away our leader and tried to pretend like nothing ever happened. I think it's time for a little payback."

"Look!" Adam exclaimed, clearly annoyed by this. "If this is really about the shoes, you can have them back."

Sebastian hit a button on his watch and the screen behind us turned on. It showed Perry, Mr. Davenport and Jaden sitting in what had to be the hydroloop car, the lights dimmed. But that wasn't important. What was important was that they seemed to be alright.

"Mr. Davenport! Jaden!" Bree cried, but they didn't appear to be able to hear us.

"You killed my father." Sebastian accused. "Now you get to watch me kill yours." He pressed a button on his watch and the hydroloop car shook violently, the passengers gripping onto the seats for dear life. "I just blew up the other end of the hydroloop tunnel. Which means they should be out of oxygen in about thirty minutes. Maybe less. That sweaty one's a heavy breather."

"We have to go save them." Bree decided. Adam tried to rush Sebastian, but the boy was quick. He stepped back, shouting the word 'now' into his comm set.

Suddenly, two other red level students, Lexi and Tank, appeared beside him, both ready to fight. "You're not going anywhere." Lexi declared.

"Lexi?" Bree looked confused. The other girl just smirked.

"Hey teach." She replied. Adam looked at his former friend.

"Tank, you're with them too?" He demanded. The other boy nodded before cracking his jaw. "Two can make that noise." Adam growled, attempting to copy him. "Ow!" He groaned, grimacing at the pain.

"We took down Krane." I told Sebastian. "What makes you think we can't take down the three of you?"

"We were already the most powerful students here." Sebastian replied, confidence evident in his tone. "And now that you've taught us your secrets, we know all your weaknesses. It's time for the students to school the teachers. The rebellion has begun."

** Calla's POV **

I glared at the door, forcing myself not to pace around the room. It was driving me nuts not be out there, not to know what was going on, even though I knew I was helping better in here, keeping the students calm.

"Calla, what's really going on out there?" Spin looked at me.

"How did Tank and Lexi just disappear?" Bob questioned. I sighed.

"I don't know. I mean, they obviously geo-leaped out of here, but I don't understand how that's possible. Mr. Davenport made sure that he put special sensors up around the academy so that you guys couldn't accidently geo-leap into the ocean or something." I looked at Leo. "They shouldn't have been able to do that."

"Well, where are Adam, Bree and Chase? What if they don't come back? What if we're locked in here forever?" He demanded, his voice raising an octave.

"I don't know, Bob. But everything's going to be fine." I assured him.

"But what-" I cut him off with a glare.

"I don't know Bob. Stop asking me stupid questions!" I snapped, shutting him up. I banged my fist against the door really hard, wishing that I hadn't left my cell phone in my room. "Guys, everything alright?"

There was no answer. "Damn it." I muttered, looking at the others. Sure, they were pretty calm now – confused and worried, but not panicky – but after a few hours, things were going to get crazy in here. Especially once they remembered that there wasn't a bathroom in here.

** Sebastian's POV **

Adam, Bree, and Chase looked so worried, so confused as to what was going on, it was almost cute. "What are we going to do?" Bree looked at her brothers. "We have to save Jaden and Mr. Davenport."

"And Perry." Adam added. Chase nodded.

"Absolutely." He rethought his response. "Time permitting."

I rolled my eyes. "You know what? I'll save you the trip. You can say goodbye to them from here."

I pressed a button on my watch, turning on the comm system.

" _Look! It's the mechanical people!"_  Perry exclaimed on screen, waving at us when their screen turned on. Both Jaden and Davenport looked relieved.

" _Yes, we're saved!"_ Davenport breathed in relief.

" _About time too."_  Jaden muttered, although he too was smiling.

"Not exactly!" I called, grabbing their attention.

"Sebastian." Davenport's mind finally put all the pieces together, realizing that I was the reason he was in the predicament he was in.

"He blew up the hydroloop tunnel and cut off your oxygen supply!" Chase exclaimed.

"So bad news, we're going to need a new hydroloop." Adam told him. Both of his siblings turned on him.

"Adam!" Bree scolded.

"Well, I can't tell him we're going to need a new father too. That'd be rude." He defended himself. Davenport stood up inside the hydroloop, getting closer to the camera.

" _Will somebody please tell me what's going on?"_ He demanded, clearly pissed.

"Sebastian knows about Krane and he's trying to start a rebellion with the rest of the students." Bree informed him.

" _What?" "How does he know about Krane?!"_ Jaden and Davenport demanded. Both Adam and Bree looked at Chase accusingly.

"I…might have told him." The so-called genius admitted. He sent me a hurt look. "Only because I thought we were friends."

" _See, that's your first mistake. Who would be your friend?"_  Perry exclaimed. Jaden pushed her out of the way so both and Davenport could see through the screen.

"Chase has been very helpful." I told him, fiddling with the watch behind my back, adding another audience to this conversation. I knew that we weren't the only ones who needed to hear this. "And once my brothers and sisters hear what really happened to our father, they'll join me. Then, we can fulfill his dreams of bionic humans ruling the world."

" _Guys, don't let him near the other students."_  Davenport instructed.  _"They're not ready to know about Krane yet. They won't understand why we had to destroy their creator."_

I smirked, knowing full well that just he signed his death certificate with those words. "Then you probably shouldn't have just told them." I hit a button and the screen split in two to show us and those in the hydroloop the training area, full of stunned students.

** Calla's POV **

" _Guys, don't let him near the other students."_  Davenport instructed.  _"They're not ready to know about Krane yet. They won't understand why we had to destroy their creator."_

We all stared at the screen, shocked. We'd heard everything, from Sebastian's plan to Davenport's confession. I should have known Sebastian was a part of this – no one was that nice without an ulterior motive.

"Did you know about this?" All the students turned on us, Rio, Spin and Bob at the front of them. Leo and I exchanged looks, unsure of how to deal with this. Because if we handled this wrong, it would be at least sixty bionic students versus the two of us, and I wasn't exactly packing any weapons.

"I…I didn't…they just…" Leo stuttered. "That is just messed up."

"Uh, Davenport?" I glanced at the screen, backing up slightly from the group. "Help us out here?"

" _Please believe me, I was planning on telling you about Krane eventually,"_  he started to explain.  _"But I couldn't let anything interfere with teaching you to become bionic heroes."_

I grimaced. Not the best words he could have chosen. It kinda made it sound like he was using them or something.

" _I needed you to trust-"_ The screen cut out suddenly, leaving me and Leo on our own with the understandably angry students. I just hoped that Chase and the others could deal with this quickly before things got out of hand.

** Sebastian's POV **

Chase spun to face me the second the screen shut off. "Why are you doing this?" he demanded. "We're the ones who took out Krane!"

"Exactly." I agreed. "And I want you to know what it feels like to lose your father!"

"Krane wasn't a father to you. He was a deranged madman!" Bree argued.

"He was our leader!" I snapped. "And he was going to prove to the world that bionic humans are superior! Until you got in his way."

Adam looked at me uncertainly. "Is it too late to say we're sorry?" He asked. I just stared at him. I knew he was stupid, but I didn't realize he was this stupid.

"That's it." Bree decided. "I'm saving Jaden and Mr. Davenport. Chase, get the door." She ordered, starting to speed off. But Lexi was there first, turning the wall to solid rock. Bree hit the ground with a pained cry, confused and hurt.

Adam was at her side in an instant, pulling her to her feet. "I knew it!" He shouted, glaring at Lexi and Tank. "You're an interior decorator too."

"It's carbonex." Lexi explained, her gaze as cold as ice. "It's impossible to break."

Adam merely smirked. "Oh yeah, well I'm Adam Davenport, and I break everything."

He walked up to the wall, balled his hand into a fist, and punched it as hard as he could. His hand bounced off the wall, the only harm being done to himself. "OH!" Adam groaned, holding his fist to his chest. "Yeah, she's right."

"It's called molecular manipulation." Lexi explained. "You didn't know I had it because I've been saving it for a special occasion."

"How long have you been working with him?" Bree demanded.

"Long enough to know that our bionics are being wasted." Lexi spat. "We're protecting humans when we should be controlling them."

I looked away from them and back at Chase. He was glaring at me furiously. "So, where were we?" I mused as we began to circle each other. "Oh, that's right. Davenport's a goner, I'm taking over the island, and what am I forgetting? Oh yeah!" I aimed my hands at him, shooting a blast of fire at his chest. The fireball hit him dead on, the impact throwing him across the room. He hit the floor with a groan, the pain preventing him from getting up on his own.

"C'mon Chase!" I taunted as his siblings ran over to him. Lexi and Tank quickly flanked me, following their new leader. "You should have seen that coming. After all, you're the one who unlocked the ability for me."

Adam and Bree glanced up from their injured leader, surprised. "He what?" Bree questioned, glaring at her brother.

Adam let out a harsh sigh. "Okay, do you want to hit him again, or is it my turn?"

** Calla's POV **

So, clearly the students weren't very happy with us. They had Leo and I surrounded and the looks they were giving us made me wish I had my plasma gun with me right now. "You helped them destroy our creator too!" Spin accused.

"Uh, no. Look, I just met those guys a week before you did. I don't even know that fast girl's name!" Leo lied. Seeing that nobody was buying it, I grabbed him by the arm, trying to inconspicuously back away from the group. The more space between us and them, the happier I'd be.

"Look, we didn't exactly help them. We were really just trying to not get ourselves killed by you guys." I tried to explain. Still, they didn't believe me. "Okay, guys. Krane was evil. He kept you in a junkyard under lock and key."

"Isn't that the same thing Mr. Davenport is doing?" Spin demanded. "Keeping us all locked up here on this island?"

"No!" Leo snapped. They all looked at him. "Well yes, but we have central air."

"Is that why we're all being forced to wear the same clothing and complete training exercises?" Spin continued.

"Spin, you need to calm down." I tried to gain authority here. I WAS a mentor after all. I should be able to handle this. "Aren't we a family here?" I tried, hoping it would get them to listen.

"Family?" Spin repeated. "Leo's always bragging about how he's not one of us, and you're not even bionic!"

"That doesn't-" Before I could continue my sentence, the screen turned on again. Sebastian was at the front, Lexi and Tank right behind him. In the background, I could see Bree and Adam kneeling above an obviously injured Chase. "Chase…" I murmured worriedly.

" _Listen up, bionic soldiers!"_  Sebastian declared. The group turned to look at him while Leo and I backed up some more. There was way too much hostility in this room for my liking.

"Oh great. He's back." Leo muttered to me, but I was too focused on the screen too care what he was saying.

" _Now you all know the truth."_  Sebastian announced.  _"That Davenport, the man that pretends to be your savoir, is actually your jailor. And it's time to take back your freedom!"_

"Freedom!" The group shouted.

" _Are you going to stand by the people who destroyed our leader?"_  Sebastian questioned.  _"Or are you going to join me and my rebellion?"_

"REBELLION!" The group screamed. Leo and I gulped nervously. This was not going to end well for us.

** Chase's POV **

Adam and Bree helped me to my feet as the group of students in the training room started chanting the word 'Rebellion' over and over again. My chest was killing me, the pain making it a little hard to breathe. I wouldn't be surprised if I'd cracked a few ribs upon impact, but right now, I was more worried about Calla and Leo. With the lockdown initiated, they were trapped inside that room with all the angry bionic students. I could see their faces, worried and just a tiny bit frightened as they stood near the back of the room.

Apparently, Sebastian was reading my mind. "Worried about your little friends?" He taunted, smirking when he saw the look on our faces. He knew full well that if hurt either of them, we'd destroy him for it. "I'll take care of them."

He turned to the screen, making sure that everyone in there could see him. "Soldiers!" He called, stopping their chant. "If you're truly committed to this rebellion, it's time for you to prove yourselves. Your first order: kill Calla and Leo."

"No…" I breathed, horrified as the students turned slowly around to face them. Sebastian nodded proudly to himself before shutting off the screen.

"Well, that should take care of them." He said matter-of-factly. He dropped the remote onto the consol, then turned back to us. "Looks like you're next. Three on three, it's going to be fun."

"Actually, it's four on three, so…" Adam did a quick recount. "Oh wait. You're right, never mind. Carry on."

I ignored him, glaring at Sebastian hatefully. It was one thing to threaten us, but to threaten our family? Calla? He was not going to get away with that.

Bree and Lexi sped off almost instantly, and Tank and Adam were wrestling after a moment, both of them making animalistic grunting noises, but Sebastian was all mine. I raced at him, years of martial arts training coming to me.

I had him pinned against the wall for a moment, but was kicked back harshly. I stumbled for a moment, but recovered quickly and sent a punch at his head. He blocked it and hit me in the stomach. I reacted by pushing him away from me, the adrenaline rushing through my veins making it easy to ignore the pain.

"Give it up Chase!" Sebastian shouted, wipe some sweat off his brow. "We're more powerful than you. You can't stop this rebellion."

He raised a hand and a electric bo staff, identical to Kieran's, appeared in his hands. I looked down at my own hands, my blue bo staff forming instantly. Two could play at this game.

I spun it around once, smirking confidently to myself. Sure, Sebastian was strong, but I'd had years of experience of bo staff training. And it was the experience that matter most.

We rushed at each other at the same time, our staffs hitting each other in bursts of light. I had to admit, he was rather good with a bo staff, and the fact that one side had two ends to it gave him a bit of advantage, but I wasn't going to give up easily.

After a few hits, I finally managed to kick Sebastian back, throwing him up against the wall once again. I held him there for a moment, allowing my bionic hearing to take in what was going on in the background. I could still hear the strange animal-like grunts coming from Tank and Adam, and the sounds of Bree and Lexi speeding around each other were pretty hard to miss, so I knew they were still fighting too. Now, all I hoped was that Calla and Leo were doing as well as we were.

** Calla's POV **

Well, today couldn't get much worse. I could see the look of horror on Chase's face before the screen cut out, leaving us no opportunity to curse out Sebastian before these guys ended us.

"Rebellion! Rebellion! Rebellion!" The group chanted, getting closer and closer to us.

"You got a plan?" Leo asked me, glancing at me sideways. I gulped.

"I was hoping that you had one." I admitted. Suddenly, Kieran pushed out from the crowd, stepping in between us.

"Hold on, hold on. Let's think about this for a second." He raised his hands, getting everyone's attention.

"Kieran, what are you doing?" I could see Rio near the back of the crowd. She hadn't been chanting, but she hadn't exactly stepped in to help us out either, so I wasn't sure whose side she was on.

"Look, maybe we should think about this. I mean, we don't have all the facts guys." He said calmly, his tone soothing. "There's obviously more to the story, so let's not jump the gun here."

"You're on their side!" One of the students, Luke, accused.

"I'm just saying that we should hear the full story, from both points of view, before we start killing anyone!" Kieran exclaimed,

"Get out of the way, nerd!" One of the students shouted. Kieran glanced back at us, then at his friends.

"No." He stated calmly.

"Get them!" Luke shouted and the group advanced on us again. Kieran backed up with us, joining us in the impossible fight of 3 against 60.

"Thanks K-Dog." I smiled at him. He glanced back at me.

"No problem Calla." He replied. The others continued to advance, even though we pretty much had our backs to the wall.

"Guys, help us out here!" Leo hissed to Spin and Bob.

"No! Sebastian's right! We never should have trusted you!" Spin spat.

"Bob, don't let them do this." I looked at the younger boy pleadingly.

"In case you haven't noticed, I kinda follow the herd." He replied. Kieran looked over the crowd, scanning it for his twin.

"Rio, which side are you on?" He demanded. The girl had stepped out of the crowd, but it didn't look like she was coming to our aid.

"I'm not sure. I don't know who to believe." She stated, shaking her head at him. Meanwhile, the crowd was getting madder and madder, as well as a whole lot closer.

"I'm warning you, stay back." Leo warned. I sighed. I didn't want it to come to this.

"Use your bionics." I hissed, once again wishing I had my Paragun. Leo and Kieran nodded, the former shooting a fireball over everyone's heads and Kieran activating his red bo staff and spinning it around for good measure.

The crowd stopped, watching us cautiously. "Yeah, that's right!" I called. "Stay back, or we'll come after you."

"Big words coming from the only non-bionic one here!" Spin shouted. I glared at him, hating that he was right. By all standards, I was technically the weakest in the room. Not something I enjoyed by far.

** Sebastian's POV **

The fight seemed to be about fifty-fifty, although that wasn't much of a problem. I still had a few more tricks up my sleeve that I didn't want to use until we'd worn Adam, Bree, and Chase out, so I wasn't that worried.

Still, I didn't like how well they were standing up to us. Adam was getting too many hits in on Tank, and Bree dodging too many of Lexi's attacks. As for Chase, well he was just getting on my last nerves.

I dodged one of his bo staff swings, trying to get a good hit on his chest, but every one of my blows were stopped by an expertly used block. After a little while, I managed to sense a pattern in his attack style. Predicting where his blow would go, I ducked and shot my bo staff out, knocking him clean off his feet. He landed on his back with a thud, a soft groan coming from his lips.

I twisted the bo staff in my arms, about to end it all, but he blocked the fatal blow by shoving his bo staff between the two pointed ends of mine, holding the deadly electric ends a few inches away from his face.

"Once I have my bionic army, anyone who stands in our way will be eliminated!" I growled. He didn't respond right away, instead kicking me off of him and back a few steps. He leapt to his feet, landing with his bo staff ready.

"Alright, that's it!" He exclaimed, completely pissed off. "We're no longer best friends!"

He ran at me, spinning his bo staff above his head. He ducked at the last second, aiming the blow for the back of my knees. I blocked it, hitting his bo staff away and aiming a blow for his waist, only for that to be blocked as well. We continued like that for a long time, one of us trying to get a good hit in and the other one blocked it with ease, until we managed to push each other away.

Both of us backed up for a moment, breathing heavily. The fight was obviously taking a lot out of both of us, sweat covering our brows as we tried to figure out a way to put an end to our opponent.

** Calla's POV **

Kieran and Leo's bionics were enough to hold back the others for now, but it wouldn't last forever. Soon enough, the other students would lose their patience and rush in, taking us down.

Suddenly, there was a loud banging from the other side of the door, and I knew it had to be the others, fighting for control.

"Those guys need us. We have to get in there!" Leo hissed.

Spin, who'd overheard him, sent the three of us cold looks. "Not on our watch, punks!" He shouted. They advanced again, only to stop when Leo shot another fireball at the ceiling.

"I said back off, or the next one's not going to miss!" Leo warned. Thinking quickly, I reached out and grabbed Spin and Bob by the wrists, pulling them beside me. Rio, seeing that her friends were in trouble, ran over, ducking under Leo's arm.

"Move it, Dooley!" She hissed. I gave her a look.

"Yo, I'm the only one allowed to refer to him by Dooley. It's our thing." I snapped defensively. She rolled her eyes.

"Look, I'm done. I want a full explanation for what the hell is going on. Why would Adam and his siblings destroy our creator?" She demanded, clearly upset.

"They really didn't have a choice." I told her. "Help us, and we'll give you a through explanation later, I promise."

"I don't think so!" Spin snapped at us. Leo looked at him.

"Hey, if the tables were turned, we'd help you." He told them, before thinking of something. "Like, say for instance, oh I don't know, dropping everything to save you because you were stuck in quicksand?"

"Hey, that did happen." Bob chuckled.

"So, what? We owe you, is that what you're saying?" Spin clearly didn't like that we were keeping score. I didn't blame him, but we were pretty desperate at this point.

"They're saying that you at least owe them the chance to explain themselves." Kieran told her, his voice as calm as usual. "And they can't do that if they're dead."

"He makes a good point." Rio mentioned softly. "And I would like to know what really happened."

"But Sebastian said-"

"Sebastian's just going to control you the same way Krane did." Leo pointed out. "Big D gave you the best gift he possibly could – the ability to think for yourself."

"Yes, finally! I get to think for myself!" Bob exclaimed before turning to Rio and Spin. "What do I do?"

"Look, Krane didn't care about us, but Davenport…I think he does." Kieran said. Rio looked at him.

"How would you know?" She asked.

"I found out a few weeks ago." He admitted, glancing at me. "I know I should have told you, but this is something you should hear from the mentors themselves, not from me. But I promise you, once you get the full story, you'll change your mind about whose side you want to be on."

The others looked at each other and sighed. "Fine." Spin relented. "But how are you going to get out of here? We're on lockdown."

"Rio, can you use your intangibility to walk us through the doors?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No, I can't take people with me. Adam and I tried a couple of times, but it never seemed to work." She replied sadly. "Sorry."

"Maybe someone can spin through the floor like a drill and tunnel us out." Leo suggested. I stared at him.

"You do realize that we're in the middle of the ocean, don't you? There's no ground underneath us." I pointed out. Kieran looked at me.

"No, but there is a ventilation system. You get into there, you can go anywhere in the academy, right?" He suggested. I nodded.

'Right, good idea." I agreed. Bob nodded.

"I'm on it." He started spinning in circles for a few moments, reminding us exactly why he was Adam\s favourite. After a few spins, Rio grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Why don't we distract the others while Spin drills through the floor?" She suggested. Bob nodded.

"Good idea. I was getting dizzy." He replied. She rolled her eyes and pushed him towards the raised benches at the back of the training area. She looked back at us.

"Good luck. Be careful." She instructed. We nodded.

"Thanks Rio." Kieran smiled at her and she nodded again before following Bob onto the benches.

"Hey rebels!" Bob called once both he and Rio were standing on the benches, looking down at the crowd. "Listen up!"

"We have a plan to get rid of Calla and Leo for good!" Rio announced, a cocky smirk on her face. She really looked like she wanted us dead…which either meant she was more pissed than I thought, or she was just a really good actress. I hoped for the latter.

"But first…" Bob grinned. "How about some magic? Who here has 3 rings I can borrow?"

Well, that distraction wouldn't last long. "Do your thing, Spin." Kieran instructed, the bo staff in his hands disappearing.

"Okay, here it goes." He looked down at the floor, turned around and spun himself into a miniature tornado. Surprisingly, the noise of the drilling didn't draw any attention away from Rio and Bob's magic show.

"You know what? Forget the rings." Bob decided. Rio nodded.

"Does anyone have a box, a saw and a volunteer?" She asked, looking at the crowd.

"Unbelievable." Leo muttered. I exchanged grins with him and Kieran just as Spin hopped up onto the floor. The boy's hair was dishevelled and he was covered in dust, but he was grinning proudly.

"Done." He told us. "That'll get you to the vent system, but you won't be able to see anything. I'm sure you can feel your way and crawl to the other side."

"Got it." "Thanks Spin." "You're the best." We all replied. I looked at the boys.

"Well…Geronimo!" I leapt into the tunnel, landing with a thud near the bottom. I barely had time to roll out of the way before Leo and Kieran came crashing down beside me.

"Which way?" Kieran's voice came from somewhere to my left. Feeling around the ventilation shaft, I realized that there were four different directions we could go.

"Um…this way." Leo decided, pushing past me to go to the left. Kieran and I followed, hoping that we were going in the right direction.

** Xxx **

We did not go in the right direction. Nearly three minutes later, Leo found a ventilation grate, but instead of the classroom where Adam, Bree, Chase, Sebastian, Tank and Lexi were in, it ended up being the mentor's dorm.

"Wrong room." Leo stated the obvious, looking around in surprise. Kieran gave him a look.

"No shit, Sherlock." He muttered. Leo looked up at the vent.

"So, uh, how are we supposed to get back up there?" He asked. Kieran smirked and raised his hands. All of a sudden, Leo was floating midair. "Hey! How are you-"

"I can manipulate gravity within a certain area. It was the first ability I discovered after Krane sent me to you guys as a Trojan horse." Kieran replied, biting his tongue as he raised Leo up into the vents. There was a soft thud a second later and Leo poked his head through to look at us. Kieran looked at me. "You ready?"

"Wait!" I exclaimed, putting my hands out. He stopped, confused.

"Why?" He asked.

"My room's right across the hall. Let me grab my Paragun and plasma gun, then we'll go." I replied, already heading for the door. "What? You didn't think that I seriously kept all my toys in the weapons area, did you?"

** Chase's POV **

I spun around, trying to find a good spot to hit Sebastian. I mean, the guy had to have a weak spot, right? Or at least a side he didn't have guarded?

Apparently not. He blocked everyone one of my hits, neither of us able to get a decent blow in at each other. We were almost a perfect match.

I raised my bo staff into the air as he swung his down at my head, successfully blocking the hit. "Ready to give up yet?" Sebastian taunted. I shook my head, although I was feeling a little worn out.

"I can do this all day." I growled through clenched teeth before pushing away and swinging my bo staff at him. He blocked it, gripping his bo staff with both hands.

"Trust me, you won't last that long!" He snapped, before quickly moving his bo staff and hitting me with it right in the ribs, causing me to hit the ground hard. I raised my bo staff to defend myself, but he hit it clean out of my hands and I watched helplessly as it slid to the other side of the room. Then I looked back up at him.

"Sebastian…" I stared as he raised his bo staff high, ready to strike and finish me off. Before he could though, there were a few screams and suddenly, three large masses from the ceiling knocked him down.

I stared, confused, as Calla, Kieran, and Leo slowly got to their feet. "Yes!" Leo exclaimed. "Three rooms later, but we finally got it."

I let out a startled laugh as Calla held out her hand to me, pulling me to my feet. "Do we have great timing, or what?" She asked, smiling at me.

"I love you." I told her. Any other time, I would have had her against the wall, our lips pressed together, but well…we weren't the only ones in the room, so I supposed that that would have to wait.

"I know." She replied. I looked at Kieran and Leo.

"Thanks for dropping in." I joked. Leo gave me an annoyed look.

"That was my line!" He complained. Adam looked at Sebastian, Lexi, and Tank.

"Ha! Now it's six against three!" He did a quick count to check "Wait, oh yeah! I'm right this time!"

"Bring it on!" Lexi challenged, glaring at us. Calla, Bree, and I exchanged looks before going after her, the boys taking care of Tank.

Lexi tried to speed way, but I sent her flying into the hydroloop, using a mangled chair to keep her down. "It won't hold her for long." I gave Calla a pointed look, knowing what weapon she likely had on her. She nodded, pulled the Paragun out of her pocket and took aim. With a single shot, the girl was out for the count.

"She's going to have a headache when she wakes up." Calla announced, looking at me. I grinned, giving both her and my sister fist bumps. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Kieran, Adam and Leo toss Tank out the window, the glass shattering as he flew through it.

Our victory was short-lived though as Sebastian got to his feet, his eyes practically glowing with hatred. No wait, they were really glowing. He let out a roar, a massive ball of electricity flying from his hands. We all jumped out of the way, Kieran and Bree going to the left, Calla and I ducking behind a banister next to us, and Adam and Leo not far from our position.

"How'd you do that?" I demanded.

"You remember how you unlocked my new ability?" He demanded. "Well, once you gave me Davenport's password, I unlocked them all."

I could feel several sets of angry eyes on me. "You have got to be kidding me!" Adam exclaimed.

"Chase!" Calla looked at me like I was crazy. "How could you tell him that?"

"Oh please, he told him a lot more than that." Bree hissed from her hiding spot. "How do you think he knows about Krane?"

Calla opened her mouth to say something, but changed her attitude quickly. "Well, it's an easy mistake."

"You told Kieran didn't you?" I guessed. She nodded.

"Guilty." She admitted. "But at least he didn't go sociopath on me."

"You guys want to finish that later?" Leo questioned. We looked at each other, then nodded.

"Right." "Sorry." We admitted. Bree let out a sigh, then looked at us.

"How can he use all his abilities at once?" She demanded. Calla and I froze, then looked at each other.

"He can't!" I exclaimed. Calla rushed to elaborate.

"Not for long, at least." She explained. "If we can get him to max out his abilities…"

"It'll fry his chip." I finished.

"And he doesn't know that?" Bree confirmed. I shook my head. "Finally! Something you didn't share with your BFF!"

"Ex-BFF" I corrected. I sighed. "Just follow my lead. Keep him on the offensive."

We all stepped out from our hiding spots, ready to fight. "Hey Sebastian!" I called. "Let's see what you've got!"

With another roar, he shot a blast of heat vision at me. I ducked to the side, the rays missing me by several inches.

"Over here!" Bree appeared behind me. He shot a blast of red plasma, but we ducked out of here.

"Hey, Sebby!" Calla used Perry's nickname from earlier. She stepped away from me, arms out wide. "You hate humans right? Well why don't you show how superior you are?"

That got a fireball shot directly at her, but Calla was always pretty quick on her feet. She dropped and rolled out of harm's way, shooting a few blasts from her Paragun at his feet to piss him off. The second she was behind a banister again, Adam jumped out, stepping in front of him. "Hey Sebastian!" Sebastian let out a massive roar, causing Adam to rethink his approach. "Hit Chase again." He requested, ducking as a plasma ball was shot at his head.

"Bring it on Sebastian!" Kieran called, ducking low as a blast of heat vision went right over his head. "Missed me!"

It was then that Sebastian began to glitch. The anger on his face was replace by panic as he realized that he could no longer control his powers. The powers not only refused to work for him, but appeared to be electrocuting him as well as he stumbled back with tiny cries of pain.

"It's working!" I called to the others.

"Ooh." Adam called. "It's like a firework show. I bet this is his great finale."

"AH" Sebastian screamed, agony in his voice. "What's happening? How do I make it stop?"

"You can't." I told him grimly. I never wanted it to come to this, and by the looks on everyone's faces, none of us really wanted to see a fellow bionic superhuman in such obvious pain. But we had to do what we had to do.

After a few seconds, the bright blue and orange sparks flying from his body disappeared, his agonized spasms dropping to twitches as he stood in the middle of the room, unable to move. "Your rebellion is over." I told him before pushing him to the ground. He stopped twitching after a second, his eyes falling shut. The only movement that could be seen was the steady rise and fall of his chest, telling us that he was alive, but unconscious.

"Wait, what about Mr. Davenport and Jaden?" Bree looked at me, eyes wide.

"Check the feed! Quick!" I instructed, running over to the consol. Bree pressed a few buttons, but when the screen came on, it was full of static. There was nothing to see.

"Mr. Davenport!" "Jaden!" Calla and I shouted at the screen.

"Why can't we see anything?" Adam demanded as Calla and Leo frantically pressed buttons, trying to re-establish connections.

"The oxygen level in the hydroloop is at…zero." Leo's voice was soft, disbelief filling it. We stood there, absorbing that for a moment before we heard a familiar voice.

"Would you stop sweating on me?" We spun around to see Perry, Jaden, and Mr. Davenport walking towards us, carrying a large orange device.

"That's no sweat. My mayo pack exploded." Perry muttered.

"Would you two shut up?" Jaden snapped irritably.

"You're alive!" I exclaimed, drawing their attention back to us.

"How did you escape?" Bree demanded. Jaden gestured at the large orange device.

"We found an emergence escape pod in the hydroloop. Who knew?" He exclaimed, pulling Bree into his arms.

"I really need to start attending those safety meetings." Mr. Davenport agreed. Calla crossed her arms.

"Well I don't hold them for nothing." She snapped. Then she frowned. "Wait a minute, the escape pod's only supposed to be big enough for two average sized people." She glanced at Perry. "How did you fit all three of you in there?"

"You don't want to know." Mr. Davenport shook his head, looking slightly traumatized. Not that I could blame him. Just imagining being stuck in that small an area with Perry was horrific enough.

"Oh please, I've wiggled into smaller places that with bigger men than you." And with that final, slightly disturbing note, Perry walked away.

** Xxx **

Several hours later, it was time to send Lexi, Tank, and Sebastian back to mainland. The authorities had been notified of what had happened and were already expecting them. Just in time too, as Sebastian had just regain consciousness.

"Look who's awake at last." Calla mused, looking down at him. He glanced up for half a second, then fixed his gaze on the ground, glowering furiously.

"It's time to go." Mr. Davenport announced, seeing the boat outside. It would be a few days before the hydroloop could be fixed, so travel by boat was our only option.

"This isn't over." Sebastian declared, his voice still a little hazy as he shook off the remnants of his little nap. "We will get out revenge."

"Not the first time we've heard that." Calla laughed lightly. "And it's not going to happen. You're going to be locked up for a really long time."

Sebastian smirked. "You really think prison bars and handcuffs can hold me." He attempted to rip them apart with the super strength he'd acquired earlier, but was shocked to find out he could.

"Not gonna work." I told him. "While you were unconscious, we removed your bionic chips fr-" Bree put her hand over my mouth, preventing me from speaking. Which may have been a good thing.

"Stop telling him stuff." She hissed at me. "Got it?"

I nodded and she slowly removed her hand. Perry looked at us, amused, then started ushering the former students to their feet. "Let's hit it, Sturdy, Creepy and Butch."

She pushed them out of the door, towards the docking area designated for the boat. "You know, it's nice to be on this side of the cuffs for once." She mentioned as she left.

"Now all we have to do is convince the rest of the rebellious bionic students not to rip us apart." Leo announced in a cheerful tone.

"Easier said than done." Kieran shrugged, looking at the doors. "The others are pretty pissed."

"Don't worry, we've got this." I assured him, heading towards the doors. Time to tell them the truth.

** Calla's POV **

Surprisingly, once we had everyone calmed down enough to listen, the news went over pretty well. I think Rio, Spin, and Bob had something to do with that – judging by the fact that no one tried to kill Mr. Davenport the second he walked through the door.

"…And so," Chase concluded after telling everyone the full story, having started all the way back to when we discovered Douglas' existence. "The reason Mr. Davenport didn't tell you guys about Krane was because he was trying to protect you."

"Just like he was trying to protect us when he didn't tell us that Douglas was our real creator." Bree added.

"Mr. Davenport was just looking out for you." I said. "Does this all make sense to everyone?"

There were a lot of nods. Adam stepped forward slightly.

"Yeah but, I think the real takeaway here is…that it was all Chase's fault. Good night everybody."

He stepped off stage, walking straight over to Rio. He pulled her gently into a corner to speak with her, probably about what happened. Judging by the look on her face, she wasn't too upset anymore.

Kieran walked up to us the second everyone started talking. "I think everyone's pretty cool with what happened." He told us. "Just don't go pissing people off for a few days."

"We'll try." I laughed lightly.

"Kieran." Chase said slowly. The boy looked up at him. "Calla told me how you defended her and Leo against the other students."

"Yeah well, I knew you guys wouldn't destroy anyone without a good reason. Besides, I'm loyal to my friends."

"Still, thank you." Chase shook his hand. "I'm glad that we have friends like you."

"Aw, you have a new BFF. Just don't tell him all our secrets." I teased lightly, earning a glare from Chase. I laughed softly, glad that the whole Sebastian thing was in the past.


	5. April Fool's Day

** Chase's POV **

"Morning." I yawned tiredly, making my way into the cafeteria. Calla, Adam, Jaden, and Bree were already awake, despite the early hour. Instead of the usual breakfast of pancakes, waffles, bacon, and crepes, they were all having toast. "What? No pancakes?"

"I need to do a supply run and the hydroloop isn't working yet." Jaden replied, spreading some jam on his toast. "So everyone's stuck with toast, left-over spaghetti, and water for today's meals. And pie for desert."

"Your spaghetti's not that bad, and don't get me started on your pie." Adam grinned. Calla, who had been preoccupied with her phone, glanced up at us. I could immediately tell something was up – the mischievous grin on her face gave her away.

"What?" I asked cautiously. She smirked.

"You know what day it is?" She asked. Bree groaned.

"No!" She snapped before Calla could protest. "Not this year. Not gonna happen."

"What?" I checked my phone for the date. Wednesday, April 1st. Oh crap.

"But-" Adam began to protest, but I shook my head.

"Let's not have an April Fool's day this year, please?" I looked at Calla and Adam pointedly. Adam liked any excuse to do something stupid and silly, and Calla was pretty much the queen of pranks. "C'mon. The students are just getting used to the routine; we don't need to ruin it with pranks and stupid jokes."

"C'mon Chase! Have a little fun." Calla teased, a too-innocent look on her face.

"Calla, do you really want to tell a bunch of immature,  _bionic_  teenagers that they're allowed to prank people all day without any consequence?" I asked. She hesitated.

"Damn. I hate it when you're right." She muttered. She looked at the others. "Fine. No one tells the students about April Fool's day."

** Spin's POV **

"Spin? Spin!" I blinked open my eyes at the sound of my voice. Leo was looking at me from the outside of his capsule, still wearing his Academy-issue pyjamas. "Dude, wake up!"

I rubbed my eyes, stepping out of my capsule. "What time is it?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"About six." Kieran replied, drawing attention to him, Rio, and Bob.

"Six?" I moaned crankily. "But classes don't start until 8:30! Why are we getting up this early?"

"Because it's April Fool's Day." Leo spoke as if it were obvious. Except it wasn't.

"What's April Fool's Day?" Bob asked, his voice still slurred from sleep. Leo looked at the other students, still fast asleep, then motioned for us to follow him into the common room. We did, and the second we entered the room we noticed several spray cans, four boxes of red solo cups and balloons, and a bucket.

"Seriously Leo, what's going on?" Rio brushed her bangs back with one hand, the other on her hip. Leo grinned.

"So, I figured that Chase won't want to tell you guys about this because of all the trouble it'll cause, but I want to have some fun." He began. "Today is April 1st, AKA April Fool's Day. Basically, it's a day dedicated to pulling pranks and jokes on everyone you know."

"Seriously? A whole day for that?" Suddenly, I wasn't so annoyed at being woken up so early. This sounded pretty fun, actually.

"Yeah. Usually, Calla and Adam team up and pull pranks on everyone they see, even the people they don't know, but I figured that this year, we could get a little revenge." Leo rubbed his hands together with an evil smirk on his face.

"You want us to help you prank them." Rio realized, looking at his stash of items. Leo looked at us pleadingly.

"C'mon guys! Don't you want to get back at the mentors a little bit?" He looked at us.

"Well, it would be fun." Kieran glanced at his twin, then at us. "Who's in?"

"Sweet!" "I'm in!" "What are the cups and balloons for?" We all replied. Leo nodded at Rio.

"Well," he began to answer her question, "here's the plan…"

** Chase's POV **

By eight o'clock, most of the students were up and about, either hanging around the common room, the classrooms, the training room, or the cafeteria. But there were a few key, hard-to-miss students that were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, have you guys seen Leo?" I asked, looking at Jaden when he walked over.

"No, what about Rio? You seen her?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Come to think about it, Kieran, Bob, and Spin are missing too." I mumbled, looking around. I then noticed Calla walking towards us, a red cup crushed in her fist. She'd only been gone a few minutes, having forgotten her laptop in her bedroom, but her mood had obviously changed drastically since she'd left. "What's wrong?"

"Seriously Chase?" She ignored my question, looking at me with in annoyance. I frowned, unsure of what I'd done wrong. "You give me a whole speech on how we're not going to prank people today, and then you do this? Not cool."

I frowned, looking at Jaden for an explanation. He shrugged, unsure. "Calla, baby, what are you talking about?"

"Like you don't know." She crossed her arms, still annoyed.

"I sincerely don't." I replied. She looked at me, then sighed.

"Jay," she started, but he shook his head.

"Wasn't me." He raised his hands in a surrendering position. I looked at the clearly annoyed girl, trying to think of a way to appease her.

"What happened?" I asked.

** Xxx **

"Well someone obviously has a lot of time on their hands." I decided, staring at sight before me. Instead of just telling us, she'd insisted on dragging the two of us up to her bedroom to see. And man, was it a sight. Every flat surface of the room, including the floor, desk, bookshelf, and windowsill were covered in a layer of red solo cups, arranged in perfect rows. There was a pyramid of them on her bed.

"This isn't funny." Calla grumbled. I looked at her, trying really hard to fight the smile I knew was coming.

"You don't think so?" I asked. She let out a sigh.

"Well, maybe a little." She admitted. "I just want to know who did this, and how they got into my room."

"Hey!" Bree and Adam walked over to us, the former with her arms crossed and the latter with a wide grin on his face. "Calla, I hope you plan on cleaning all those up."

"No way! The little idiots who did this are going to clean it up, not me!" Calla gestured at her bedroom. Bree frowned, looked inside and laughed.

"Oh, nice bedroom. I love the décor." She joked. "But that wasn't what I was talking about."

"Then what are you talking about?" Jaden asked. Bree pointed at our bedroom, clearly wanting us to go other there. Cautiously, I pushed open the door to see nothing but…balloons?

The entire room was filled with balloons, from bottom to top. Red, yellow, blue, and green – the type you could easily find at a dollar store. "Oh my god." Jaden stared at the mess, eyes wide. "Who did this?"

"Probably the same person who messed up your room." Adam nodded at Calla.

"Fifty bucks says Jaden's is identical to mine." She mentioned. I frowned.

"Who could have done this? None of the students know about April Fool's Day except…" It hit us all at once. "Leo."

** Rio's POV **

"So, how long do you think it'll be before they discover what we've done to their rooms?" Spin asked excitedly, bouncing up and down on the couch in the cafeteria.

"Shouldn't be too long. I saw Calla on the security feed when I was in Perry's office earlier and she was heading up to her room." Kieran replied. "I don't think she'll notice that we stole…I mean, borrowed, her laptop though. Not at first."

"Are you sure that one's going to work?" I asked. Leo nodded.

"Oh, it'll work. Trust me, one look at Freddie and Jemma will have Calla running for the hills." He assured us. "Now, help me finish this."

He dropped the plastic bags into the container, their contents shining slightly in the light. "They're going to kill us for this." Leo chuckled.

Suddenly, Kieran's phone vibrated. "Bob says that everyone's looking for us."

"Good." Leo stirred the container a little before he was satisfied. He handed it to Spin. "You know what to do, right?"

"Put this in the kitchen fridge, then meet you all in the common room." Spin ran off, the container tucked under his arm. Leo looked at us.

"Shall we?" He asked. I grinned. This pranking thing was actually kinda fun.

"We shall." Kieran replied, leading the way to the common room. Adam, Bree, Calla, Chase, and Jaden were all waiting for us there. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Alright Dooley, how'd you do it?" Calla got straight to the point, looking directly at Leo. He frowned.

"Whatever do you mean, Calla?" He asked. Chase gave him a look.

"You broke into our rooms and filled them with red solo cups and balloons. We want to know how." He stated. Leo frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The lie was obvious to everyone's ears. Chase opened his mouth to argue, but Leo cut him off. "But if I were to break into your rooms like that, I'd need to be able to…I don't know…walk through walls."

They stared at him for a moment before all eyes fell on me. "Rio?" Adam looked surprised. I smiled.

"What? Can't a girl pull off a prank?" I asked innocently, smiling at him. He let out a surprised laugh.

"I guess they can." He sounded impressed. Jaden looked at Leo.

"How many people have you gotten in on this?" He asked suspiciously. Kieran grinned and answered for Leo.

"Oh, you know. Just a few." He replied. Bree looked at the three of us.

"You do realize we have to get back at you, right?" She asked.

"You do realize that we're far from finish, right?" Leo countered.

"Is that so?" Calla began, only to be cut off by the bell. "Damn."

"Hey, no pranks during classes, alright? Deal?" Chase looked at everyone.

"Fair enough." "Alright." "No prob." Kieran, Leo, and I replied.

"Good. Now Daniels twins, you're in my class today." Calla started ushering us towards the classroom. Kieran and I exchanged looks – today was going to be interesting.

** Jaden's POV **

So while the others had to teach their classes, I figured I'd get an early start on lunch. I headed towards the kitchen, passing Spin on my way, and started pulling out some plates. I had been thinking of just giving the students rolls of bread with spaghetti, then maybe fish-sticks for dinner (I really needed to do a food run), so I already knew what I needed. I placed the bread and the pasta boxes on the counter, then opened the fridge for the tomato sauce.

"What the…?" I pulled out a large gelatine mould, still in the container. The gelatine was green, with two large, dark shapes in its center. After a second, I realized that those dark shapes were cell phones. Whose, I didn't know, but those students were not going to get away with it. "Oh, those dweebs are so dead."

I placed the gelatine mould on the counter, then looked over at the meal. Suddenly, an idea hit me. I grinned, heading towards the storage section.

** Spin's POV **

"Mmm…spaghetti!" Bob exclaimed, digging into his bowl. So far, this morning was going great – everyone was talking about the pranks we'd pulled on the mentors, so we were pretty popular.

I grabbed one of the small bread loaves to add to my meal and sat down next to Leo, Rio, and Kieran. "So, when do you think the guys are going to get hit with Prank War Round 2?" Rio asked the second we sat down.

Leo looked up suddenly, smirking. "Right about…now."

"Okay, where's my phone?" Chase asked as he, Adam, and Calla walked up to us.

"Your phone?" Bob asked. Adam nodded.

"Mine's missing too." He added, crossing his arms. I looked at Calla, trying my best to look confused.

"What about your phone? Is it missing too?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No, it's my laptop." She sat down next to us. "Look, pranks are one thing, but taking my laptop is going too far. Now, tell me where it is, or I will rip your heads off."

I shrank back, sliding closer to Kieran slightly. I knew that Calla was protective of her stuff, especially that laptop, but I didn't know she could get this scary.

"Calla, calm down. You're right; we crossed the line. We're sorry we took your laptop." Kieran said soothingly. She gave him a look, but didn't try to remove anyone's head, so I figured it was a good sign. "I put it in Perry's office this morning. It should still be there."

"Now was that so hard?" She asked, standing back up. She looked at Chase. "I'll be back in a few."

She headed down the hall, towards Perry's Security Office. "And the phones?"

"We didn't take your phones." I took a bite of my bread. And immediately regretted it. Spitting it out, I stared at my so-called bread. The inside was whitish blue, and most definitely not edible. "What the heck is this?"

"Soap." Jaden came up from behind us, looking at us.

"Soap?" Bob repeated. Jaden nodded.

"Yeah, when you microwave certain types of soap, they look like mini loaves of bread. Add a little edible paint, and voila."  **(1)**

"Dude, not cool!" Bob complained. Jaden raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I thought you'd find it amusing. Almost as amusing at this." Jaden pulled the gelatine mould out from behind his back and placed it on the table. Adam and Chase stared at it.

"You put our phones in a gelatine mould?" Chase demanded. Adam grinned.

"I'll get them out." Chase had to stop him from trying to eat the gelatine.

"Relax, they're in plastic bags, so the gelatine didn't damage anything." Leo assured them.

"Look, are you done with the pranks?" Chase demanded, sounding annoyed. Leo merely smirked.

"Not yet. In fact, another one of the pranks are about to unfold." He replied. Chase frowned.

"What are you-"

"LEO!" Calla's scream could be heard from across the school.

** Chase's POV **

Calla was standing outside Perry's office when we found her, pacing in both frustration and distress. "Hey, hey, hey!" I grabbed her by the arms, stopping her quick movements. "What happened?"

"I'm going to kill him. I'm going to freaking kill your step-brother." She growled, glancing at the door.

"Alright, sure. Yeah, I'll help you." I offered, trying to calm her down. She nodded, then glanced at her brother.

"Jay could you, uh…get me my laptop?" She asked hesitantly. He frowned.

"Why can't you?" He asked, just as laughter erupted from the cafeteria. Calla averted her gaze, instead glaring daggers at the floor.

"Please?" She pleaded. He sighed and stepped into the office. A second later, we heard him sigh.

"Seriously, Cal?" Jaden called.

"Don't be a jerk, Jay!" She snapped. I rubbed her arm, trying to keep her from flipping out. Obviously, Leo had crossed a line, which meant as soon as Calla saw him, he was going to die.

Jaden came out of the office a moment later, Calla's laptop tucked safely under one arm. But it was the two massive arachnids in his hands that caught my attention.

"Tarantulas?" I was surprised that Leo would go that far. He knew how Calla felt about spiders and how badly they freaked her out. Said girl nodded before quickly taking the laptop from Jaden and hugging it to her chest, her gaze never leaving the hairy eight-legged creatures.

"They were sitting on top of it." She murmured, cheeks turning red with anger and embarrassment. Leo walked up a minute later.

"Oh Jaden! You found Jemma and Freddie!" He exclaimed, sending a smirk at Calla. "Thank God. I wondered where those two had run off to."

"Dooley, you're dead." Calla growled, even as she backed away from the spiders. Leo took the tarantulas, Freddie and Jemma, from Jaden and looked at Calla.

"Call it revenge for all the pranks you've pulled on me over the years." He replied, walking out with his head held high. Calla raised an eyebrow, much calmer now that the spiders were out of the room.

"Oh, it's on." She grabbed my hand with her spare one.

"Where are we going?" I asked, not resisting as she led me down the hall.

"To get revenge. I need post it notes, a wig, and a guinea pig. You're the guinea pig."

** Rio's POV **

After all the pranks we pulled throughout the day (including having a bucket full of water fall on Bree, shrinking all of Adam's clothes on purpose, replacing Chase's hair gel with glue, and changing the lock on Calla's bedroom door) we had been on guard all day for their retaliation. To our general surprise, there'd been nothing. Not a single thing, except for the whole soap/bread thing. They'd totally left us alone.

"They're probably trying to prove a point like 'mature people don't pull pranks' or something." Spin decided, following us down to the student dorm. It was 11:45 PM, and with only fifteen minutes before April Fool's Day was up, we figured that we were totally safe.

"Nah, that's not Calla's style." Leo pushed open the door to our dorm. We stood in the doorway, staring at the room. "That, however, is."

Every single capsule in the room was covered in post-it notes. Colours ranging from the ordinary yellow to things like purple and pink, there were so many of the tiny little notes that you couldn't see inside the capsules at all.

"Wow." Kieran murmured, looking around. "Where'd they get all these?"

"I knew that Calla and Chase both keep a few pads of Post-Its for studying purposes, but this is ridiculous." I agreed. Leo rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Still not that impressive. I'm going to bed." He headed towards his own capsule – the one Mr. Davenport had insisted that he sleep in until his room was finished being refurbished. Calla had decorated that one special. The thing was covered in white Post-It notes, with red ones forming a smiley face on the front. Leo pulled open the door, then froze.

"Holy-" His surprised shout broke off as he stumbled backwards, landing on his butt. He crawled in a crab-like position, trying to escape the person stepping out of the capsule. The person had large, curly bright red hair, a white face, and a painted red face. His costume, which had obviously been picked out for the occasion, consisted of a yellow and white jumpsuit and massive, foot-long red shoes.

"Is that a clown?" Kieran asked. Then he gasped. "Is he carrying an axe?"

Indeed, the clown was carrying an axe. I recognized it as plastic immedielty, but Leo was too busy freaking out to care.

"Cl-cl-clo…" He stuttered, trying to get to his feet as he backed away from it. The clown raised the axe above his head menacingly, causing Leo to pale. "CLOWN!"

With that final, terror-filled word, Leo fled from the room, not looking back. "Clown?" I repeated, trying to figure out what was going on.

The clown laughed, pulling off the red wig to reveal short and spiky brown hair. "Calla, did you get that?"

Calla stepped out of the corner, a video camera in her hands. "Yeah, I did Chase. I got all of it."

"Why clowns?" Kieran asked, staring at Calla incredulously. She shrugged.

"Tasha once told me a story involving Leo's eighth birthday, a clown, and an axe. Apparently, he's been traumatized of them ever since."

"So you decided to scare the crap out of him." Spin looked at her. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

She laughed. "Yeah, well if he's going to use spiders against me, I'm going to use clowns against him." She stated. She looked around the room. "By the way, you like what Bree did?"

"Not really." "Nope." "I think it's cool." "I hate it." We replied. Chase smirked.

"Yeah, well you guys can clean it up while we're getting rid of the red solo cups and balloons still in our rooms." He told us. Kieran chuckled.

"Fair enough." He agreed. He looked at his watch. "12:01. Truce?"

"Truce." Chase agreed. He and Calla started to leave, but not before he called over his shoulder, "Until next April Fool's Day, that is!"

And so, the Prank War between students and mentors became our little tradition.


	6. Left Behind

** Calla's POV **

"Good work everyone!" I called, putting an end to today's training session while Chase went to get some after-workout snacks. "Let's call it a day."

"Thank goodness." Bob breathed a sigh of relief as the group headed towards the cafeteria. "That was hard."

"I only made you do ten push-ups." I looked at him. He nodded.

"Yeah! That was the hardest training session ever!" He exclaimed. I laughed lightly, falling into step beside Kieran and Rio.

"It wasn't that bad." Rio scolded lightly as we headed into the cafeteria. "Hey, do you think, instead of protein bars, we could get Jaden to make us something?"

"Nope. Davenport only gives him enough of a budget for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desert. No extra food at all." I replied, slightly disappointed. The only snacks we really got were the stuff my brother and I brought from the mainland during our many supply trips.

"Here you go, guys." Chase walked up, carrying a box full of Mr. Davenport's protein bars. "Protein recovery bars."

"Ugh!" Bob complained, his face wrinkling up in disgust. "Again?"

Chase gave him a hard look. "Yes, again. Would you like to complain more about the free food, Bob?"

"Chase." I warned gently. I didn't exactly blame Bob for his reaction – I was surprised that those bars were even edible.

"Mr. Davenport made them to maximise our workouts. They have everything the body needs." He defended himself.

"Yeah, and they make you puke." Spin added. "I'm gonna hold out until the 3 o'clock peanuts." He tossed his bar back into the box. Kieran glanced at me.

"Hey, how come you don't have to eat those?" He asked. I smirked and pulled a normal granola bar out of my workout bag.

"It's one of the few perks of not being bionic." I replied, taking a bite of my own snack. Adam nodded, grabbing a bar out of the box.

"Yeah, well luckily for me, I'm bionic so I don't have a gag reflex." He shoved the bar into his mouth while we all stared at him.

"We're all bionic and yes, you do." Bree told him. He looked at her like she was crazy.

"No I don't." He grumbled around a mouthful of food. Not a second later, his gag reflex kicked in and he was forced to spit out the bar onto a napkin. "Yes I do."

We just shook our heads at him, just as Leo walked in. He was carrying a large box, obviously sent in from the mainland. "Ooh, what's that?" Spin asked curiously, walking over.

"Oh, this? It's just a little care package that my mom sent down for all of us." He replied, before pointing at the label that clearly read LEO DOOLEY. "No, wait. It's just for me."

Spin rolled his eyes, walking away. Suddenly, there was a strange sound coming from one of the tables. Looking back, I saw Bob squirting half a bottle of ketchup onto his protein bar. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, it's easy for me to swallow if I pretend it's a hamburger." He explained. "Which is tough, because I don't even know what a hamburger is."

We all looked at him, once again reminded of how little the students knew of the outside world. I'd have to talk to Jaden about putting burgers on dinner menu.

"You've never have a hamburger?" Bree asked, her voice sympathetic. "That's so sad!"

"Want to cheer me up by giving me a hug?" Bob requested, arms out.

"That's so sad!" Bree repeated, clearly not wanting to hug the boy. She turned to Chase, Adam, and I. "Guys, these kids have no social skills because they've been completely isolated from the real world. They have no idea what it's like to be normal."

"Ah, yes." Leo sighed, getting up. "I remember your first days out of the lab. So young, so naïve…you needed a strong hand to guide you."

"Yeah." Bree agreed. "But all we got were you and Calla."

"Hey!" I protested, earning a laugh from Bree.

"But seriously, these kids deserve a taste of the real world." She insisted.

"Well, I just got some food from the real world." Leo offered. "You guys are welcome to…no, wait. It's just for me."

Spin didn't seem to care. He spun past Leo, grabbing a peanut butter jar out of his hands. When Spin's little cyclone came to a stop, the jar was empty and his grinning face was covered in peanut butter.

"No idea." He replied, licking his lips. It was adorable for a second, until Bob wiped some of the peanut butter off his friend's face using his protein bar. He took a bite of the bar, and hummed in satisfaction.

"Better." He commented. I looked at my fellow mentors.

"Look, why don't we just go talk to Mr. Davenport?" I suggested. "Maybe we could take a small group of kids out for a day. On a field trip to Mission Creek or something."

"Good idea." Chase nodded, leading the way into the main classroom while Leo was left to try and keep the rest of his food out of Spin and Bob's greedy hands.

"Hey, Mr. Davenport!" Bree called when we found him. He was standing near the hydroloop, talking with Jaden. By the looks of it, they were going over a list of supplies.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He asked, not looking up from the clipboard he was holding.

"Well, we've been talking, and we want to take the students on a field trip." That made Mr. Davenport stop. But only for a moment.

"Great." He replied quickly. "Where you want to take them? Living quarters? The kitchen? That rock on the other side of the island?"

We all looked at him. "C'mon. You know what we mean." Bree insisted. Jaden glanced at us, then turned his gaze on Mr. Davenport.

"It would be a nice treat for them. They've been working so hard." He added. I smiled; leave it to Jaden to side with us without knowing the whole story.

"Forget it." Mr. Davenport shook his head. "They're not ready to socialize with the outside world."

"Well, yeah, but neither is Adam and we still let him out of his cage." Chase pointed out.

"Hey, stop talking about me like I'm an animal." Adam snapped. Then he looked at Jaden. "Hey, I'm hungry. Is it almost feeding time?"

We all rolled our eyes, not answering them. "Sir, how are they supposed to learn how to socialize with the outside world if we don't let them even see the outside world?" I asked.

"Yeah, and it's not like these kids are a secret. The whole world knows they exist." Bree added.

"Look, I told the president that we would turn them into the next generation of bionic heroes. We can't take any chances until their training is complete." He insisted. I vaguely remembered him saying something eerily similar when I first suggested taking Adam, Bree, and Chase out of the lab for the first time. I guess some people never learn.

"But shouldn't their training include real world experiences?" Chase questioned, trying to sway him. "I mean, if you hadn't let us go to Mission Creek High, we'd still be clueless shut-ins."

"Look at us now." Adam agreed. "Living isolated on a remote island. We have come so far."

"Although I wouldn't put it like that, Adam's right. They wouldn't be the heroes they are today without getting those normal, human experiences." I told him. He wouldn't change his mind though.

"Look, I built this academy to be a protected environment. They make mistakes here, they are no serious consequences."

"What are you so worried is going to happen?" Bree questioned.

"Well I seem to remember a few incidents, when you three hit the real world. You set a dingo on fire, you got in a wrestling match with your principal, and you showed up in the yearbook as the bearded lady." He reminded us.

"Exactly." Adam grinned. "And they should be able to do those things too."

"Mr. Davenport, I know these kids. They can handle it. They're ready!" Bree insisted. Just then, we caught sight of Spin and Bob off in the corner. Although unable to hear what they were saying, it became pretty obvious that they were acting like idiots when we saw Bob throw Spin across the room. The younger boy crashing into the side of the hydroloop, only to jump to his feet and hive Bob a thumbs up.

"Some of them are ready." Bree amended her previous statement. Mr. Davenport nodded.

"I rest my case." He declared, walking away. We all looked at each other.

"We're sneaking them onto the mainland anyway, aren't we?" Jaden guessed. Bree smiled.

"Glad to see you're on board." She replied. Chase looked at us.

"Guys, Mr. Davenport said no, so the answer is no." He told us, starting towards the cafeteria. I sighed.

"Give me three minutes." I told the others before running after him. I stopped him at the door, grabbing his hand so he couldn't walk away.

"Chase…" I began. He gave me a look.

"The last time you convinced me to break one of his rules, we ended up on bathroom duty for a month." He reminded me. I rolled my eyes.

"Still totally worth it." I replied, smirking. "And besides, when Leo and I took you to school, was it not the best thing that ever happened to you?"

"I suppose." He agreed. I raised an eyebrow. "Alright, but if we get in trouble, you're taking the blame."

"Nah, we'll just pin it on Adam." I smiled, pulling him back to the group. "He's in."

"Aw, c'mon Chase! Break the rules for once in your life!" Adam obvious misheard me. Chase rolled his eyes.

"I'm in." He repeated.

"Oh." Adam looked surprised. "Sorry, I just assumed you'd say no."

"Why?" Chase looked confused. We all looked at him. "What?"

"No offense baby, but you're kind of a…" I searched for the right word.

"Fun-killer." Adam supplied.

"Stick in the mud." Bree added.

"Are we talking about Chase?" Leo walked up, frowning.

"Okay, I get the point." Chase growled, looking at us in annoyance.

"Leo, perfect." Bree smiled. "Hey, can you cover for us with Mr. Davenport? We want to sneak some of the kids out to the mainland for the day."

"Perhaps. But what can I expect in return for this arrangement?" He inquired.

"Well, I could always tell Mr. Davenport about that time you snuck out in his speedboat." Bree suggested.

"Hey, it was Calla's idea!" He defended himself. I nodded to myself. What a fun day. "But you guys have a wonderful evening."

"Thanks Leo." The others nodded. I looked at him.

"What are you going to tell him?" I asked, curious. He shrugged.

"Not sure yet. Probably nothing – he might not notice if no one says anything." He yawned. "Hey, do you think they'll mind if I crash on their couch again?"

"Not sleeping well?" I guessed. He shook his head.

"Not really. I tried sleeping in a capsule, but I kept feeling like I was going to fall over, and the couch isn't really that comfortable." He replied. I shrugged.

"Crash in one of the guest rooms while we're gone." I suggested. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm gonna try." He agreed.

"Calla!" I heard Jaden call my name. "You coming, or what?"

"Yeah!" I shouted back. "See you later Leo, Keep out of trouble."

"No promises!" I heard him call after me.

** Chase's POV **

In the end, we only took about twenty students. We figured that between the five of us, we would easily be able to keep track of them. As soon as Mr. Davenport was gone, Jaden, my fellow mentors, Kieran, Spin, Bob, Rio, a few other students, and myself hopped onto the hydroloop and headed towards Mission Creek.

The first stop on our field trip was the mall. Partially because the girls insisted on it, but also partially because the students kept getting weird looks because of their outfits. So we split up by genders and took the students clothing shopping.

"This is awesome!" Spin grinned as we headed into the arcade we'd all agreed to meet at. "First we go to the mall for new clothes, and now we get to eat real food and play video games."

"Sweet, huh?" Rio walked up to us, sporting a new jacket, blouse, and a pair of jeans. Calla, Bree, and one of the yellow-levelled students, Jasmine, followed.

"By the way, which one of you guys paid for their clothing?" Calla asked, pulling out her wallet. "I'll pay you back."

I looked at Adam, who froze. "We were supposed to pay for it?" He asked, surprised. "I will be right back."

Spin frowned. "We're not going to get in trouble, are we?"

"Well, my mom's a cop, so…yeah, probably. More us than you, though." Jaden assured him. "Now, go have fun."

"Okay." Spin didn't really need much encouragement. Bob looked at Bree.

"This is the best night of my life!" He grinned, opening his arms. "Want to make it better with a hug?"

"Uh, nope." Bree looked around for an escape. "Hey Kieran, you ever play pool? Doesn't matter, I'll teach you."

She dragged Kieran off to the other side of the arcade, while Rio went to go check out the Pac-Man machine. It wasn't long before all the students were having fun, some playing air hockey, others ordering food, Spin claiming the high score at Dance Dance Revolution, and Bob making the largest burger known to man. All in all, it was a pretty nice evening.

"This is great." Calla was pretty much bouncing in her seat at the food bar next to me. Clearly, she was enjoying the day off as much as the kids. It was kinda cute to see her having so much fun. "I don't know what Mr. Davenport was so worried about."

"Your large chocolate shake, miss." The guy working the food bar handed Calla her order. She smiled gratefully at him, taking the sugar filled drink.

"Where was I? Oh yeah. Everyone's having a good time, and everybody loves them."

I nodded. "Yeah, no one can ever accuse me of being a fun killer again." I watched as Calla slurped down her milkshake. Okay, that was enough. "Okay, you've had enough sugar for today." I decided, taking the drink from her. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Not a fun killer, eh?" She looked over her shoulder at the food bar guy. "One EXTRA LARGE chocolate milkshake please."

"Really?" I asked, looking at her incredulously. She responded by childishly sticking her tongue out at me and grabbing two straws from the dispenser.

** Calla's POV **

The field trip was rather fun, but eventually, we had to go back to the academy. "That was awesome!" Rio practically skipped out of the hydroloop, the massive pink unicorn that Adam won for her tucked under her arm. "Can we do that again?"

"Definitely." Adam grinned. He glanced over his shoulder briefly. "Sorry about hanging with Rio all day Bob. Next time, I'll play a game of air hockey with you, alright?" There was no response. "Bob?"

Still nothing. "Spin, have you seen Bob?" Adam looked around, but neither boy was nowhere to be seen.

"Tell me we didn't…" I began. Adam cut me off.

"Don't worry, I got this." He assured me. "Bob, have you seen Spin?"

That was so idiotic, it wasn't even worth the comment. "They're not here."

"I thought you did a head count!" Chase looked at Adam. He nodded.

"I did! There were eighteen!" He insisted.

"We brought twenty!" I shouted, staring at the idiot.

"Hey! You told me to count, you didn't tell to how many!" He argued.

"Well, where are they?" Jaden demanded.

** Spin's POV **

Bob and I spent nearly an hour inside the photo booth at the arcade the mentors brought us to and it was awesome! I didn't really get what the point of it was, but making funny faces in the camera was pretty amusing. Eventually though, we ran out of quarters and had to get out.

"That game was fun." Bob grinned, stepping out of the curtained box. "I liked the big light that flashes in your eyes."

I was about to respond when I realized just how quiet the room was. Looking around, I saw the lights were dimmed and that there was no one in here with us. "Everybody's gone! And we don't know how to get home!"

"Relax. Adam would never leave us. Right Adam?" No response. "Chase have you seen Adam?" Again, nothing. "Adam, have you seen-"

"They're not here, Bob!" I snapped, getting frustrated. They wouldn't abandon us on purpose, I knew that, but the fact that we were left behind still upset me. How long would it be before someone came to get us? Minutes? Hours?

** Chase's POV **

"How could you forget Spin and Bob?" I demanded angrily. I already knew the answer though; he was too busy focusing on his new girlfriend to pay attention to them.

"How could you forget Bob and Spin?" Adam retorted.

"Guys, look! It doesn't matter that you all screwed up and that I am completely innocent."

"How are you innocent?" I looked at her. She smirked and raised an eyebrow. Then, tears started streaming down her face as she let out a fake sob.

"Mr. Davenport, I'm so sorry!" She cried. "I tried to stop them!"

"Seriously?" Adam looked at her.

"Girl tears. More powerful than any bionic ability." Bree replied. Calla nodded.

"Remind me to try that some time." She agreed.

Jaden let out a sigh, interrupting us before we could start arguing again.

"Okay, you know what? It doesn't matter who's fault it is! What matters is getting them both back here before Davenport finds out." He told us. Bree looked at him.

"He's right." Rio nodded.

"We'll go get Leo to keep covering for you guys." Kieran agreed. Him and Rio disappeared, trying to find Leo. Bree nodded.

"Let's go." And with that final note, we all climbed back into the hydroloop.

We hadn't even reached the mainland yet when Calla's phone vibrated. "Hello?" She answered it, frowning. "Leo?"

She waited a second, then frowned. "What sort of problem?" She paused again, glancing at me. "Why not?"

"What's wrong?" I mouthed at her. She didn't answer, instead focusing on the call.

"…Alright. What's going on?" She stopped talking for several moments, her eyes going wide at whatever Leo said. "Tell me you're joking." Apparently, he was not. "But why would he…what were you guys…I do not have time to deal with this, Dooley. Fix it."

Bree and I exchanged looks. Leo usually only called Calla for backup when he didn't know what to do. Sounded serious. She let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb. "Morons…" She muttered under her breath. "Look, if you haven't figured it out in an hour, there are some laser cutters in the storage area…yes, laser cutters. Try not to kill him; it might be hard to explain to Tasha. Bye."

"What was that about?" I asked as soon as she hung up. She let out a sigh.

"Trust me Chase, you do not want to know." She told me, dead serious. "Let's just focus on this crisis, then Leo can inform you about what's going on back home."

"Alright." I decided to trust her, but I still had a bad feeling of what she wasn't telling me.

** Spin's POV **

For some reason, while I was searching for the others, or a working phone, Bob decided to fill his pants with mustard.

"Bob, what are you doing?" I questioned, staring at him.

"I'm loading up. They ran out of those little cups." He explained, as if it was a reasonable explanation for his actions.

"Knock it off and help me figure out how to get home." I snapped at him.

"Why don't you just call Chase?" He suggested.

"Because my phone's dead." I reminded him. It had died hours ago.

"Well, let's just walk back." Bob replied.

"We live in the middle of the ocean, Bob!" I was starting to see why he and Adam got along so well.

"Well you have an answer for everything, don't you?!" Bob shouted, annoyed. To emphasize his point, he slammed the mustard bottle down on the counter.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the sound of shattering glass hit our ears. "What was that?" Bob hissed, eyes going wide.

"Shh! Someone's breaking in! Hide!" We ducked under the counter, praying that whomever it was wouldn't see us.

Four large men stumbled into the room, all carrying bags. Sirens sounded in the streets and flashing lights filtered through the closed curtains. "We were this close to getting away with a bank vault of cash." One of them, the oldest, growled as he dumped his bags on the ground. "And now we're stuck in here, surrounded by cops."

I gulped nervously, looking at Bob. We were in some serious, serious trouble.

"Go check the backdoors." The leader of the group ordered. They walked out of the main part of the arcade, heading towards the back.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked Bob, not daring to raise my voice above a whisper.

"Yeah." Bob nodded. "Let's see if they have a charger for your phone."

I shook my head at him before crawling on my hands and knees into the photo booth. They'd be less likely to see us in here, and while we were hiding, we could come up with a plan.

** Calla's POV **

To our shock, when we arrived at the arcade, it was surrounded by armed police officers and sheriffs, the lights on their cars flashing. "What did they do now?" Bree demanded, alarmed.

"Hold on." I told her. I cleared my throat loudly, looking at one of the officers. "Hey James!"

The man glanced at us, and after a quick word to his partner, walked over to us. "Calla, Jaden, what are you guys doing here?"

"Looking for a couple of friends of ours. What's going on?" Jay asked, confused.

"You know the Federal Financial Bank, right?" We all nodded. "Some idiots decided it would be a brilliant idea to rob it. They've barricaded themselves inside."

"You've got to be kidding me." I muttered, looking at the others worriedly. "Um, thanks James. Catch those bad guys."

"Sure thing." He smiled at us before walking back over to the other officers.

"Bob and Spin are trapped inside with a bunch of bank robbers." Chase hissed, his tone full of panic.

"Aw man, I can't believe they robbed Federal Financial." Adam complained. "That's where I keep my retirement fund."

I gave him a look before turning to Chase. "I hope you have a plan."

"First off, let's call Leo. Tell him we need more time." Chase decided. Adam nodded.

"I'll do it." He dialled the number and held the phone up to his ear. "Hey, it's Adam. Adam Davenport." There was a pause. "Uh, you do if you believe in proper phone edicate. Listen Leo, you've got to cover for us a little longer. Spin and Bob are trapped with a gang of bank robbers…uh, I do now. Bye."

"What was that last bit about?" I asked suspiciously, noting the way his voice rose a few octaves for that last sentence.

"Mr. Davenport may have picked up the phone instead of Leo." He admitted.

"ADAM!" we shouted at him. He looked at us guiltily.

"Actually, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing." I sighed. Jaden looked at me.

"Have you lost your mind?" He demanded. I shook my head.

"Look, Spin and Bob are in some serious trouble. Even though we're going to be in some serious trouble, Davenport should be kept informed on the situation." I hated having to be mature at times like these.

** Spin's POV **

After about twenty minutes, the robbers had not left the room once. Bob and I had been stuck inside the photo booth the entire time.

"Spin, we've got to get out of here!" Bob hissed. I nodded.

"Okay. Here's the plan. You distract them by tossing this near them." I held up the teddy bear I won from the crane machine, "then I'll spin us out of here."

"Great idea." Bob stepped out of the photo booth and tossed the teddy bear at the men. It bounced off one of them with a squeak. "Wait, did you say 'near them' or 'at them'?"

I stepped out of the photo booth, looking at him in annoyance. It was hard being friends with idiots. "Looks like we just found our ticket out of here." The leader of the group decided, looking at us. "Sorry kids, but you're not going anyway."

"Oh." Bob nodded. "In that case, I'll do fire up the grill."

He started towards the kitchen, only to be dragged to the ground by one of the other guys. Their leader grabbed me by the back of my neck, throwing me to the floor next to him. I gulped, praying that Adam, Bree, Calla, and Chase would hurry up and get back here.

** Chase's POV **

"What's going on?" Bree asked as Jaden walked back over to us. He sighed.

"Mom says they're trying to negotiate with the bank robbers. They're holding Spin and Bob hostage and are using them as leverage to escape." He replied, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Oh, good. At least they're being supervised by adults." Adam sighed in relief. We ignored them.

"Let's just do something about this, alright? C'mon!" Calla grabbed me by the hand and began heading around the back of the building.

** Spin's POV **

While the robbers spoke with the police, they had us sitting on the ground next to their bags full of cash and various tools they used to rob the bank. "Don't worry." Bob assured me after a while. "I'm sure Adam, Bree, Calla, and Chase will be here any minute to rescue us."

"No." I was done waiting for them. "It's up to us. We have to save the day. We're bionic heroes."

"In training." Bob added cheerfully before getting to his feet. I followed his lead, looking at the robbers.

"Okay, freeze!" I shouted, ignoring how unintimidating I must look, a ten year trying to order a criminal around. "You have exactly five seconds to hand yourselves over to the police, or face the wrath of two bionic heroes!"

"In training!" Bob added, taking a fighting stance.

"Would you stop that?" I demanded. The leader of the group rolled his eyes.

"Enough. I told you two to stay out of the way." He said. "Now go play your little superhero games over there."

I glanced at my best friend as I picked up a large piece of rope from one of the robber's bags. "Ready Bob?"

"Ready." He agreed. But he didn't move.

"I thought you said you were ready?" I asked after a moment. He nodded.

"Oh, I'm ready." He agreed.

"Then do something!" I snapped in exasperation.

"If you want me to do something, say 'do something' and stop asking me if I'm ready!" He retorted. He looked at the robbers, then grabbed the heavy bags full of money off the ground. Though they had to way a hundred pounds each, he lifted them like they were fluffy pillows. He threw them at the men, knocking two of them out.

I spun around the other two men, tying them up in a few seconds' time. However, I was too occupied to notice that one of the men that Bob dealt with was back on his feet and coming after me.

"Spin, watch out!" Before I could react, Bob pushed the air hockey table into the man, sandwiching him between it and the wall. He looked at the men I had tied up and grinned. "Game over."

"Guys!" Suddenly, the backdoor flew open and Adam, Bree, Calla, Chase, and Jaden ran in. "Don't worry, we're here to save you!"

"Too late." I smirked at the surprised looks on their faces as they surveyed the room. "We already took care of it. Criminals have been apprehended by two bionic heroes."

"In training." Bob added, much to my annoyance.

"You're killing me, man." I muttered.

** Calla's POV **

"Why is it that whenever something happens, it involves you five?" I looked up at the sound of my mother's rather annoyed voice. She walked in, flanked by James and her partner, Patrick.

"Bad luck?" "It's fun?" Jaden and I replied nervously. She rolled her eyes.

"Take them away." She ordered her officers, gesturing at the bad guys. They nodded, dragging the men out. She looked at Adam, Bree, and Chase. "I'm guessing I have you three to thank for this?"

"Actually no." Bree replied, looking proudly at Spin and Bob. I patted their shoulders gently.

"These are Bob and Spin, some of our more promising students." I introduced. "Spin, Bob, this is my mother, Police Chief Nicole Parker."

"Nice to meet you m'am. Sorry about the mess." Spin gestured at the overturned air hockey table. Mom laughed lightly.

"Trust me, your mentors have done far worse in half the time that you two had." She replied. "Good work."

"Thanks Officer Parker." Bob grinned.

"Alright, I'm going to need a statement in a few minutes. I'll be back." Mom gave us looks that plainly read 'don't even think about running off' and walked over to James to help him deal with the robbers. The second she was gone, we turned around to face the two boys.

"What were you guys thinking?" Chase demanded. "You can't just stay behind because you're having a good time!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up!" Spin snapped, looking and sounding annoyed. "We didn't stay behind. We got left behind. By you."

"That is not tr…" They gave him a hard look. "We'll talk about this later."

"Right now, we need to get back home. ASAP." Jaden decided.

"Too late." Mr. Davenport walked in, followed by Leo. Instead of his usual business attire, he was wearing one of the arctic snow suits. It took me a minute, but eventually I figured out why. Leo had told me earlier about the problem, but I had assumed they'd figure it out by now.

"Hey everybody." Leo waved at us, a guilty look on his face. Mr. Davenport cut us all off before we could explain ourselves.

"I specifically told you not to take the students off the island and what did you do?" He demanded, looking specifically at me and Chase. As usual, he assumed we were the leaders. And while he wasn't wrong, it was a little frustrating.

"He doesn't even know." Adam hissed while we scrambled for an answer that wouldn't get us in trouble. "We're in the clear."

"I don't think so, Adam." Jaden patted his shoulder, biting his lip nervously.

"They were stuck here with no idea how to get home and not to mention, someone could have gotten seriously hurt." Mr. Davenport continued. We sighed, ducking our heads.

"I told you that we'd get in trouble." Chase hissed at me.

"Oh, zip it." I hissed back, frustrated.

"So today didn't go so great." Spin spoke up suddenly. "But we the best time. We played cool games, hung out like real kids, and we learned a ton."

"Yeah, I learned that Chipotle Mayo is my favourite flavour." Bob agreed. "And hand sanitizer is not a flavour."

"Hey, that's more than Adam learned in his first week in the real world." Chase murmured to me. I bit down on my lip, trying to hide my smirk.

"Plus, we finally got to put our bionics to use." Spin added. "And not just for some lame Academy training exercise."

"Hey!" I protested. I was the one who put those excercises together.

"Which I love as much as the protein bars." He added, trying to please me. I hummed in annoyance, already planning on giving the little big mouth an extra thirty burpies during the next exercise session."

"Okay, I get it." Mr. Davenport nodded. "Just next time, don't sneak out to do it, alright?"

"Got it." "Okay." They agreed. Mom walked over.

"Donald." She nodded in greeting.

"Nicole, here to take the boys' statements?" He asked. She nodded.

"It won't take long." She assured him, leading Spin and Bob away.

"Well, all's well that ends well!" Bree declared, hoping to get out of this. "So, uh…"

"Oh no, you're still in trouble." Mr. Davenport. Bree hesitated for half a second before she began to bawl.

"I'm sorry, I tried to stop them!" She cried. Adam followed her lead, trying to copy her. But unfortunately for them, it didn't work.

"Okay, that's enough. It's not working." He snapped. I raised an eyebrow.

"I know something that will work." I muttered, just loud enough for Chase to hear. Then I spoke a little louder. "Hey, why are you wearing a snow suit?"

That made Mr. Davenport freeze in his tracks. "Uh…It…Well…I…Um…It's funny…I don't have to justify myself to you!"

I glanced at Bree. "You want to do the honours?"

Confused, Bree nodded anyway. She sped around Mr. Davenport, removing the snowsuit. Underneath, he was wearing Chase's mission suit, the uniform almost fitting him perfectly. We all stared at him, but no one was more horrified than Chase.

"MY MISSION SUIT?!" He demanded. Mr. Davenport looked at us guiltily before shooting fake fun blasts at us. He ran out, using his pretend super speed to escape. We watched him go, Jaden, Adam and Bree laughing, Chase furious, and me frowning.

"Question." I looked at Leo. "Is it just me, or do you guys smell olive oil?"

Everyone but Leo sniffed the air. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." Bree stepped closer to her step-brother. "Are you wearing olive oil?"

We all looked at him while he tried to think of a response. "What a man does with his imported oils is his own business."

We all laughed as we followed Spin and Bob towards the hydroloop site.


	7. Under Siege

** Calla's POV **

So my day was going great. Yeah, my lessons went really well, I finished one of my inventions, and Chase and I had a really nice dinner planned. Of course, all of this was ruined when a certain evil child followed Perry off the hydroloop.

"No…" I whispered, horror in my voice upon seeing her. Chase frowned.

"What's the..." He broke off, following my gaze. "Carrie." **(1)**

Yes, it was Carrie Perry. Perry's evil niece that Chase and I had been forced to babysit for a few days last year, and those had to be some of the worst days in my life.

"Welcome to Perry's Paradise Resort!" Perry announced, dropping Carrie's luggage onto the ground. "Don't worry about your bag – one of the robot bellhops will get them."

She clapped her hands and Adam raced towards the bag, grinning. Hopping on top of it, he pushed it down the hall, shouting "SUITCASE SLED! WOOHOO!"

"You remember my sweet niece, Carrie." Perry walked over to us, the younger girl following. I scowled.

"No, but would your evil niece Carrie like to introduce her to us?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Perry chuckled, as if she thought I was joking. I was not. "She's staying for the weekend." Perry explained before handing Chase a slip of green paper. "Give her a room with a view."

Chase looked at the paper, annoyed. "This is Monopoly money."

"And there's plenty more where that came from." Perry added with a smile.

"Don't worry, I won't be a bother." Carrie assured us in that too-sweet voice of hers. The same tone that she only used when she was trying to act innocent. "You won't even know I'm here. I just wanted to spend some quality time with my favourite Auntie Terry."

"Well, I have been accused of being fun." Perry smiled at her niece before glancing at us. "And of identity theft."

Chase looked at the younger girl. "You're not fooling us, Carrie. You act all nice until your aunt's gone, then you go off to trip roller skaters and sell ice packs to the injured."

"My sweet niece would never do that." Perry defended Carrie before turning to her. "Everyone knows the roller rink is my turf."

Douglas walked in then, unaware of who was back on the island. Only he could be so unlucky that the first time he came to help out around the island since it'd been built happened to be the same time that Perry decided to come back from her vacation.

"Dougie!" Perry cried gleefully, grabbing onto his arm. She pulled him over to us. "Carrie, I'd like you to meet your future uncle, Douglas."

"I've heard all about you." She held out her hand to shake his. "You're the one obsessed with my aunt."

Douglas shook it, keeping his eyes on Perry. "Yeah…she is a…handsome woman."

"Settle down Romeo." Perry purred. "There are still kids here."

He gave her a strange look, though she paid it no mind. "C'mon! Help me get her room ready."

"Be right there." Douglas agreed. The second she was gone, however, he fled in the other direction.

"So, this is the monster who owned you guys last year?" Bree asked, looking over Carrie. Leo laughed, agreeing with her.

"What'd she do? Not invite you to her tea party?" He teased. They laughed as Carrie fake-giggled beside them.

She stopped as suddenly as she started. "Keep talking and I'll snap those twigs you call arms."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Leo stopped her. "These are bionic twigs. Well this one is. From the elbow down."

I rolled my eyes, pushing Leo away. "So why are you really here, Carrie?"

"Gotta lay low 'till the heat blows over." She admitted. "Got sloppy on my last job back at the Creek."

"What'd you do this time?" Chase questioned.

"'Till the witness wakes up, nothing." She replied. "Just stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours."

I turned to Chase. "Why do I have the sudden urge to lock my bedroom door?"

"I'm with you on that one." Chase agreed absently. He patted his pockets. "Hey! That little witch stole my wallet!"

He tried to race after her, only stopping when I was pulled along with him. Looking down in confusion, we noticed the handcuffs chaining us together. "Seriously?"

"Aw man! She owned you guys again!" Leo laughed. He tried to walk away, only to trip and take Bree down with him. We all looked to see that Carrie had handcuffed their ankles together.

"How did she even do that without us noticing?" Bree demanded, shocked. I shrugged, tugging at the handcuffs.

"C'mon. If my brother notices us walking around handcuffed together, he's not going to stop bugging me about this for weeks."

** Xxx **

CRASH!

My eyes snapped open at the loud sounds that woke me out of my slumber. Frowning, I glanced at my alarm clock. 6:00 AM. Much to early to really care about whatever had woken me up. I had decided to go back to sleep until a series of thuds coming from across the hall convinced me that it wasn't going to happen.

Yawning, I changed into my mentor uniform, taking the time to check my hair. I'd always gotten really bad bed head and if I was going to go call either a mentor or a student for being idiots too early in the morning, I didn't want to look like a clown when I did.

"Guys!" I banged on the door as soon as I was done. When I received no reply, I knocked on it once more before pushing it open. Even tired, my eyes immediately noticed the mess. The table had been turned over, a couple of the chairs flipped, and the light above the door shattered. "Guys!"

"Chase, tell your girlfriend to let us sleep." Adam complained, not opening his eyes.

"Calla, go back to bed." Chase murmured sleepily. I raised an eyebrow.

"You may want to take a look at your room." I suggested. Confused, he cracked one eye open, both of them going wide when he was their room.

"What the-" Chase stumbled out of his capsule, opening Adam and Bree's as he did so. His siblings started to complain, but broke off within seconds. My boyfriend picked the shattered tablet off the ground, staring at it. "Leo's tablet? Someone's been in here. We must not have heard them because we were in our capsules!"

"Dooley!" I called, noticing him passed out on the couch, one leg hanging off of it as he drooled into the pillow. He'd been sleeping in here rather than his capsule for a while now, not able to sleep properly standing up. Not that I could blame him; I had no idea how the others managed it. I shook Leo's shoulders roughly when he didn't wake the first time I called him. "Up and at 'em, sunshine."

"Ah." Leo's eyes shot open, confused as to why he was being shaken. He stared up at me. "Calla? What are you doing in here?"

"Did you hear anything last night?" Chase demanded.

"No, but I am a deep sleeper. I can not tell you how many times I've woken up in a body bag." He joked lightly, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes.

"Someone broke in." I informed him. Chase glanced at me.

"Did you hear anything?" He asked. I nodded.

"A few bangs and a crash. It's what woke me up." I explained. "But that was like, ten to fifteen minutes ago."

"Wait a minute." Chase snapped his fingers. "I know who did this."

"So do I. Carrie." I agreed. Bree looked at us.

"Perry's niece? Are you sure?" She asked. We nodded.

"Wow, you got schooled by a toddler again?" Leo laughed. Chase looked at him.

"This is what she did to your tablet." He informed his stepbrother, handing him the now useless piece of technology.

"Bring her to me!" Leo growled, shooting straight to his feet. Bree nodded and sped off, just to return with the young criminal seconds later. Carrie looked at us, annoyed and clad in leopard print pyjamas.

"You're fast." She said to Bree. "Homely, but fast!"

"We know what you did." Bree told her.

"Yeah, that trick with the handcuffs? You've been going to magic school." Adam announced. Carrie shook her head at him, obviously thinking he was an idiot.

"You're going to replace everything that you stole or broke, Carrie." Chase informed the girl.

"I didn't do it!" She protested.

"Well that clears that up, back to bed." Adam decided, trying to head back to his capsule as Carrie tried to take off.

"Hey! You're not going anywhere!" Chase snapped, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.

"AUNT TERRY!" Carrie screamed at the top of her lungs, standing right by Chase's ears. He let out a cry of pain, releasing her arm to bring his hands up to his ears.

"Did it occur to you that I have bionic hearing?" He demanded, dropping his hands with a grimace.

"No, but good to know." Carrie nodded before screaming again. "AUNT TERRY!"

"Ah!" Chase flinched back, his face screwed up in a pained grimace. Luckily, Perry walked in, stopping Carrie from needing to scream again. She was dressed identically to Carrie as she stumbled in.

"What is all the yelling about?" She demanded. "I didn't even have time to put my face on."

"That thing's removable?" Leo questioned.

"Your precious little niece broke in and ransacked the place." I informed our head of security.

"I don't know what they mean, Aunt Terry!" Carrie rushed to defend herself. "I was sound asleep, dreaming of cute little kittens, when I was ripped out of bed by this bionic she-man!"

Bree stared at her offended. "She-man?" She repeated.

"How dare you accuse my sweet little angel!" Perry scolded. "Me, I get. Cousin Cletus, Grandma Flatnose, the Pug Twins, absolutely. But her? Impossible."

"You call your grandmother 'Grandma Flatnose'?" Chase questioned, staring at her.

"Well not to her face. She's kinda hard to look at." Perry replied. "Look, I can prove Carrie's innocent. We'll just check the security footage."

** Leo's POV **

When we got down to the security office where all the security cams relayed the footage to, however, it was impossible to watch. The monitor on the wall was full of glitches.

"The monitor's broken." Chase stated the obvious. "I can't pull up the security footage."

"It's okay. I'll fix it. I can fix anything." Perry offered, looking the screen over. "I used to be a technician for NASA."

"You worked for NASA?" Bree's tone was incredulous.

"Yeah!" Perry replied, annoyed that we would doubt her. "The North American Sumo Association. I put the pins on the giant diapers."

Okay, did not need to know that. Perry walked over to the moinotr and stared smacking it with her hands. "Fixie, fixie, fixie!"

Chase pulled her away from that. "I can't believe that didn't do it." Calla's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Even Carrie looked at her aunt in disdain.

"Hey!" We looked at Chase as he suddenly ducked under the desk. He came up a second later, holding a couple of destroyed wires. "It's not working because someone fired the server. That means all the cameras are down."

"You knew you'd get busted, so you destroyed the evidence." Calla accused, glaring daggers at Carrie.

"Perry!" Before she could say anything in her defense, Jaden burst into the security office, looking absolutely pissed off.

"Hey babe, you here about what happened to our room?" Bree guessed. Jaden glanced at her, his fury softening.

"No. I'm here about what happened to my cafeteria." He growled. We all exchanged looks.

"What happened to the cafeteria?" I asked, confused.

"Why don't I show you?" Jaden asked, his tone cold.

** Xxx **

The cafeteria was a mess. Most of the tables had been tipped over, along with a number of chairs. The counter was cracked, though not completely broken, and a couple of the windows separating the cafeteria and the hall had been broken. It looked like just like Adam, Bree, and Chase's room had – totally destroyed.

"Luckily, the kitchen itself is undamaged, but someone's going to have to clean this place up and it sure as hell ain't gonna be me." Jaden declared, crossing his arms.

"What do you have to say for yourself now, Carrie?" I questioned, turning on the girl.

"That you people are slobs?" She replied. We all glared at her, then Chase turned to Perry.

"Look, your niece is playing you. The whole sweet and innocent thing? It's an act." He told her.

"Aunt Terry, I didn't do this." Carrie protested.

"Of course you didn't." Perry agreed. "I'm going to catch the real culprit even if I have to stay up all night. Which will be easy 'cause I spent the winter in hibernation."

** Calla's POV **

This time, I was not awaken by the sound of shattering glass or furniture being turned over. Instead, I was woken by the insistent knocking on my door at 5:30 AM.

"What?" I complained, pulling my pillow over my head and hoping whoever it was would go away.

"Calla! It's me, open up." Came the reply.

"'Me' who?" I argued, too tired to care if I annoyed him.

"Chase!" Yep, he was annoyed. Sighing, I climbed out of bed, putting on a robe before answering the door.

"Dude, what?" I asked, leaning against the door frame.

"There's an emergency down in the common area." He told me. I nodded, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

"I'll be down in a sec. Just let me get dressed." I told him. He gave me a look.

"I did say 'emergency' right?" He asked. I nodded.

"You did, but there's no emergency big enough to get me to run out in front of the entire school wearing nothing but my robe, got it?" I asked. He glanced down at me, then nodded.

"Right, sorry." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hurry up though."

** Xxx **

Chase and I made it down to the common area just a few minutes after he woke me up, but a crowd had already formed. Perry's body lay on the ground, a massive flashlight on the ground beside her. I took one look at her, then glanced at the crowd.

"Alright!" I called. "Who killed Perry and forgot to get rid of the body?"

"She's might not be dead." Chase mentioned. I nodded.

"I know. I'm just trying to start the day off positive." I replied. He rolled his eyes, but didn't say reply to me.

Instead, he looked to Douglas. "Is she alright?"

"I don't know. I'd check, but I need one of your guys to make sure she's really unconscious before I get my face too close." He replied. Chase rolled his eyes before kneeling next to her. He grabbed her wrist, waited a few seconds, then nodded to himself.

"I think she's gonna be okay." He told us. Adam frowned.

"What? You're a doctor now?" He asked. Chase gave him a look.

"I checked her pulse." He retorted defensively. Adam picked up on his tone instantly.

"Oh, no. Sorry. I wasn't making fun of you or anything." He apologized. "I just wanted to see if you could take a look at this rash."

Bree had to stop him from lowering his pants to show us. Before anyone else could say anything, Perry let out a groan.

"My head…" She moaned. Chase helped her sit up, then looked to the only other adult in the room.

"Douglas, get her to the infirmary." He instructed.

"Good idea. Let's put her down humanely." He agreed, motioning for two students to pull her to her feet. They half-carried and half-dragged her to the infirmary down the hall.

"I can't believe Carrie would hurt her own aunt just to get away with more crimes." Bree said as the crowd started to disperse.

"Actually, I don't believe it." Jaden added. We looked at him. "I mean, I know the girl's far from Miss Innocent, but c'mon. Why would she attack the only one on the island that believed that she was?"

"He makes a fair point." Bree agreed.

"I'm not sure guys. If it wasn't Carrie, who else could it be?" I asked.

"Well, who would want to hurt Perry?" Leo asked before quickly amending his statement. "Correction, who would actually hurt Perry?"

"Let's think this through." Chase decided, beginning to pace. He often did that when trying to figure out a difficult problem. "First, Leo's tablet was damaged. Maybe someone was trying to find out sensitive information."

"And when they couldn't get past the password, they tossed it aside." I finished, nodding. "Then, the criminal disabled the video feed as to not get caught. Probably didn't want us tracking their movements either."

"And when Perry started pursuing them, they probably took her out." Chase finished.

"But that doesn't answer the question of who." I pointed out. "I mean, if there was an intruder on the island, I doubt we would have missed them."

"Guys." Leo drew our attention over to the hydroloop. It only took one look inside to see that the navigation system had been shot. Literally. It looked like someone had thrown a fireball at it or something. "They took out the hydroloop too. Whoever did this has trapped us on the island."

"Wait…" I stepped inside for a closer look. "Guys, those burns marks, they're from bionics." I looked at them. "No way a normal human could have done this."

"The last time something like this happened, it was Sebastian leading a rebellion." Chase remembered. He looked at us, horror creeping into his eyes. "Guys, there's still a rebel living among us."

** Leo's POV **

"How can there still be a rebel here?" Bree demanded. "It's been nearly a month since Sebastian tried to kill us. Why wouldn't they act sooner?"

"I don't know." Chase admitted. "But for now, everyone's a suspect."

"You!" Adam accused, pointing at Chase. "I knew it was you all along."

"I was with you the whole time." Chase argued.

"Me!" Adam exclaimed, eyes wide. "I knew it was me all along."

"Look, Sebastian's rebellion almost destroyed this academy. We can't let that happen again."

"Hey!" Chase stood up on the nearest chair getting the attention of all the students. "Everyone back to the dorm. You're on lockdown until further notice."

The students went quietly, many casting glances in the direction of the infirmary. Obviously, the majority of them thought this was because of what happened to Perry. "Good idea." Bree nodded at her brother. "We should keep them there until we can question everyone."

"Guys!" We turned to see Douglas and Carrie escorting a still woozy Perry back into the room. They sat her down at the main desk before Douglas looked at us. "Good news is, she checked out okay." He told us. He glanced at her, then added quietly, "Bad news is, she checked out okay!"

"What happened?" Bree demanded as soon as Perry was settled. "Who attacked you?"

"It's still a little foggy, but I remember being on the front lines. Then out of the darkness, eleven, giant guys in helmets started to charge me. No, wait…that was when I ran onto the field during the Bears game."

"That was you?" Jaden looked surprised. "I thought that was a mascot!"

Perry shrugged. "Look, I don't remember what happened. All I know is that some bionic kid attacked me and I could really use a hug."

She held out her arms to Douglas and Carrie, the latter quickly stepping aside. Douglas bit back a groan, and stepped forward a bit before shaking his head. "No, can't, sorry."

"We need to find that rebel." Chase said. "Tonight, we'll split up and patrol the Academy. Any questions?"

"Yeah!" Carrie spoke up. "Now that you know it wasn't me, is there something you'd like to say?"

"Yes." Chase nodded. "Can I please have my wallet back?"

Needless to say, he didn't get his wallet back.

** Calla's POV **

" _3 AM. Common area is clear."_  I heard Chase announce over the comm link. It was late, so we were all going over different parts of the school.

" _Both my and Calla's bedrooms are clear."_ That was my brother, checking upstairs.  _"And Carrie's door is locked, so I'm just going to assume she's sleeping."_

" _Living quarters are clear."_  Douglas replied. I nodded to myself as I swept my flashlight across the darkened room.

" _All clear here too."_  Perry was in charge of checking the main classrooms.  _"Hear that Douglas? I'm all alone."_

There was a few moments of silence.  _"Somebody else say something."_  Douglas pleaded.  _"Please."_

"Are you kidding? I find Perry's crush on you hilarious." I replied. "Cafeteria's clean. By the way-"

" _No, you can not sneak some ice cream out of the freezer, Calla."_  Jaden told me instantly.

"Geez, no need to be in such a cranky mood about it." I mumbled, already heading towards the freezer. "What about the weapon's area? Who's got that again?"

" _I do."_  Adam replied as I grabbed a large spoon out of one of the drawers.  _"All clear in the boom-boom room."_

I chose to ignore the animal sounds he started making. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he was making shadow puppets with his flashlight and hands.

" _I checked the students' dorms three times each. They're clear."_  Bree replied. There was a sudden tapping noise on her end of the line.

" _Are you texting?"_  Chase asked, sounding annoyed.

" _No."_  Bree lied.

" _I can hear you."_  Chase pointed out. I listened to their pointless bickering as I checked the massive freezer. I knew Jaden had chocolate ice cream around here somewhere, and a little break couldn't hurt.

" _Fine. I'll stop."_  Bree sighed. There was a few more quick button pressing noises, then it stopped.

A second later, Chase's voice came back on the line.  _"'Chase is a jerk.'"_  He read.  _"I think you sent it to the wrong person."_

" _Nope."_  Bree replied instantly. I rolled my eyes.

"C'mon you two, stop bickering." I scolded. "Hey Leo, you almost done checking the training area? 'Cause if you are, I found where Jaden's keeping the Death By Chocolate ice cream."

" _Calla, what did I say about getting into the ice cream?"_  Jaden sounded annoyed.

"Chill, Jay, I was just going to have a small bowl. So, how about it, Dooley?" Silence. "Leo? Leo!" Again, nothing. "Guys, Leo's not responding!"

" _Everyone get to the training area, now!"_  Chase ordered. I dropped my spoon into the ice cream and bolted for the stairs, running down them two at a time. Chase was the only one in the training area when I got down there, though Bree was hot on my heels.

"Chase!" I called, skidding to a stop just as Adam, Perry, and Jaden ran in from the other direction. "Where is he?"

"Not here. Has anyone seen Leo?" He asked urgently, looking at all of us.

"Yes." Adam nodded. "He's a sixteen year old male, about 5'7, answers to the name Leo."

Chase and I exchanged looks. Leo disappearing while we had the start of what was likely Bionic Rebellion Part 2…that couldn't possibly mean anything good.

"Guys, I know you're fearing the worse but you have to remember," Perry tried to comfort us, "it's just Dooley."

Suddenly, the entire building shook, a loud noise coming from Section 4 of the island. Section 4 was where we kept all the weapons, explosives, and dangerous inventions that Davenport insisted we keep on the island.

"Oh no!" Chase muttered as we began to race towards the section. From the outside, the weapons room appeared to be mostly intact, but the smell of smoke was thick in the air. Stepping inside, we could see a medium sized fire engulfing some of the crates in the corner.

"I got it!" Adam exclaimed, quickly putting the fire out with his hurricane breath. As soon as it was out, I pushed past him and knocked the crates onto their sides. The still smocking and slightly charred covers came off to reveal that they were empty.

"Empty?" Jaden asked, confused. I nodded before checking the other two crates that hadn't been touched by the fire.

"Yeah, thank god." I checked over the contents of the other crates. They weren't even hot. I looked back at the others. "Those crates contained tanks of highly combustible jet fuel. If I hadn't fuelled up Mr. Davenport's private jet earlier today…well, then we could kissed our butts goodbye."

Luck was what saved us, really. The only reason I wasn't even going to fuel it up until tomorrow, but when I heard that the hydroloop was shut down, I figured we'd need an escape plan.

"That was close." Chase agreed. Suddenly, we heard another shout. This time it came from Adam, Bree, and Chase's living quarters.

"Douglas!" I exclaimed, realizing who was the only one missing.

"DOUGLES!" Perry cried, pushing past us in an attempt to get to him. We followed her, rushing to the mentors' quarters. When we got there, Douglas was on the ground, eyes open but obviously dazed. No one else was present. "No! The one person I cared about!"

"First Perry, now Douglas?" Chase looked at us as Perry knelt down behind the man, putting his head in her lap. I figured I should speak up or something, considering it was the first and only time he was too out of it to flee, but we had bigger issues to worry about than Perry's obsessive crush.

"The rebel's trying to take us out one by one." Chase declared. "We're officially under attack."

"Aw, man, really?" Adam complained. "It's the weekend."

Suddenly, there was another explosion, this time coming from the training area. Wow, this rebel moved fast. "Another blast." Bree looked hesitantly at Douglas. None of us liked the idea of leaving him in Perry incapable hands, but it wasn't like we had much of a choice.

"Go." Perry encouraged. "I'll stay here and nurse him back to help."

"Sorry Dougie, but we really do need to go." I called over my shoulder as we left.

** Xxx **

We skidded to a stop in the common area in front of the training area's door. We could hear explosions rattling inside, big enough to shake the place, but not big enough to blow us up. Which was a plus, I supposed. Not blowing up was definitely a good thing.

"Let's do this." Chase declared. I nodded and pulled my Plasma Gun out of my jacket pocket.

"Do you carry a weapon with you every where you go?" Jaden asked, looking a little annoyed. I rolled my eyes and handed him the Paragun, which I had been hiding in my back pocket.

"Just take the gun and aim it at the bad guy." I ordered. We started towards the door, only for it to blow open. And out of the smoke walked…Leo?

"Leo?" Bree looked confused, and she wasn't the only one. There was something wrong with him though, that much I knew. His bionic arm was outstretched, his other one hanging limply at his side, and his eyes were closed. "What is going on? Who else is in there?"

"No one!" Douglas appeared behind us, a little slow but otherwise alright. "Leo's the one whose been attacking us."

"I knew it! Leo's the rebel. Who else would want to take over the island?" Adam nodded, then frowned and looked back at Douglas. "Wait, why is Leo the rebel?"

Suddenly, Leo sluggishly raised his bionic arm, a fire ball flying past our heads. He continued to shoot at us (though his aim appeared to be off) and we ducked behind the nearest support columns. "What is wrong with him?" Bree demanded.

"He's sleepwalking because his bionics are going haywire." Douglas explained quickly. "He's not rebelling, he's in a bionic trance."

"I'm in a trance watching you talk all sciency." Perry purred, eyes on Douglas. He shuddered, but didn't have a chance to reject her as Leo came closer to us. We jumped out of the way just as he turned around the corner.

"But why are his bionics so messed up?" I asked, confused. "We've never had problems like this before."

"I know…wait, has he been sleeping in his capsule?" Douglas asked. I shook my head, realization dawning on me. Of course...

"No, he said he has trouble sleeping standing up." I replied. "I didn't think it was a big deal though, since only his arm is bionic. I didn't think it would have affected the rest of him."

"Well obviously, it did." Douglas snapped. I glared at him.

"Well maybe you should have told him how important his capsule was before giving him bionics!" I retorted.

"Okay, enough!" Chase snapped. "Why don't we just wake him up?"

"We can't." Jaden shook his head. "You're not supposed to wake someone up when they're sleepwalking."

"How'd you know that?" Chase asked. Jaden smirked.

"Calla used to sleepwalk when she was really little." He replied. I frowned.

"I did?" I asked. Jaden nodded.

"You don't remember?" I shook my head. "Well, you were four or five, so I guess it makes sense. Mom would tuck you into your bed on the third floor every night, then one of us would find you sleeping underneath the kitchen table in the morning. After a while, we stopped carrying you back to bed and just gave you a pillow asleep."

"Okay, later we're going to talk about how you don't just leave a four year old sleeping under a table, but for now, what do we do?" I looked at Douglas for ideas.

"Well, move!" We jumped out of the way again as Leo tried to kill us in his sleep. "And Jaden's right. The sudden stimulation could cause his arm to glitch even more. Right now, it's firing externally, but if his pyrokinesis backfire, it could blow him apart."

"Do it, do it, do it." Perry chanted softly. Suddenly, Leo arm began twitching violently, jerking around.

"But if we don't do something, he's going to destroy the whole island!" Chase objected, looking at us.

"Find a way to contain him. Then I can recalibrate his arm!" Douglas ordered.

"Easier said than done!" I objected, ducking as a fireball nearly singed my hair. Leo wasn't even shooting at us anymore, instead shooting in every direction. As the shots got wilder and wilder, we all hid behind the banisters, hoping he would stop.

And he did. As suddenly as the shots started, they stopped. Craning my neck to look for him, I realized that Leo was gone. He had vanished the second none of us were looking. "Where'd he go?" I asked, hesitantly stepping out from my hiding spot. The others did the same, all looking around for Leo. Suddenly, there was another explosion.

"Just follow the sound of explosions. It should lead us right to him." Jaden sighed, leading the group towards the sounds.

** xxx **

We quickly searched the top floor. No one was up there except for Carrie, who for some reason was standing in Adam, Bree, and Chase's quarters, wearing a baseball hat. "Carrie?" I called. She stopped, eyes going wide when she saw us.

"Have you seen Leo?" Apparently, I was the only one questioning why she was in their room to begin with.

"You know, 16 year old male, about 5'7, answers to Leo?" Adam elaborated.

"Uh, yeah. He went somewhere else." Carrie replied, sounding guilty and pretty much confirming my suspicions as to why she was here. Oh well, I could deal with her later.

"Alright." We followed Chase out of the room and back down to the main floor.

"Wait, question." Adam stopped us. "How are we supposed to stop Leo without waking him up?"

"Oh, I know how to keep him asleep." Bree suggested brightly. "Just have Chase talk to him."

Chase sent her a glare, then pulled out his phone. After a few seconds, he smirked in satisfaction. "I just sent you a pointedly worded text." He retorted.

I nodded. "Way to get back at her, babe." I complimented, smirking when he glared at me. Suddenly, a very high-pitched, feminine scream hit our ears.

"Carrie!" Perry exclaimed, already racing ahead of us.

** Xxx **

"Don't worry, Carrie!" Perry shouted as we burst into the room. "We're here to-"

As it turns out, it was not Carrie scream. Rather, it was Leo. Carrie had him pinned to the ground, holding the screaming boy down by his legs.

"Leo?" Chase called, surprised. I didn't know it was possible for him to make such a sound.

"Get her off of me!" He cried, kicking at Carrie. She dropped his leg, backing off slightly. He crawled backwards, pulling himself onto the nearby couch. "What happened?" He gasped, confused.

"You just got body-slammed by a brownie." Adam replied with a cheerful grin on his face.

"Because you and your toy arm attacked me!" Carrie snapped. Leo frowned.

"What are you talking about? I was sleeping!" He defended himself.

"Yes, you were. You were also sleepwalking. Or, sleep-attacking, to be more specific." I replied. Leo shook his head, not understanding. "Your bionics glitched because you haven't been sleeping in your capsule, then you tried to kill all of us."

"But I can't sleep in a capsule. Every time I fall asleep, I just hit the floor and wake up again." He protested.

"We'll figure something out, but until then, don't be surprised if we lock you inside a storage cupboard before bed." Chase replied. Bree frowned, then looked at Carrie.

"Wait, how did you subdue him without waking him up?" She asked. Carrie smirked.

"Oh, he woke up." She nodded. "Hit 'em in the right place, they always wake up."

We stared at her, only for Perry to smile and say, "She's a Perry."

There was definitely no doubt about that.

** Leo's POV **

So Douglas came up with this brilliant idea of giving me a mini-capsule specifically for my arm. Basically, I had to wear it while I was sleeping and I shouldn't have anymore sleepwalking issues. Though the others did insist on locking the door at night now so I couldn't accidently attack any of the students.

Now, all we had to do is deal with one more little issue.

"Oh Carrie!" I sang as Calla and I walked up to the hydroloop. The younger girl tried to close the doors, but I held them open with my bionic arm. "Oh, would you look at what we have here."

Inside the hydroloop car were several bags, containing almost all of Calla and Bree's jewellery, watches belonging to all of us guys, inventions from the weapons area, Calla's laptop, the TV monitor from Jaden's room, a beanbag chair, and a missile launcher.

"Going somewhere?" Calla asked, looking at the girl. She glanced over her shoulder. "Hey Perry! Over here!"

"Forget you saw all this, and I'll let you guys take half!" Carrie tried to plead with us. We stared at her.

"Half of this is ours." Calla retorted, grabbing her laptop off the top of the pile. I pulled my favourite pair of shoes off the seat just as Carrie sat down, a guilty look appearing on her face when her aunt walked over.

"We caught your niece stealing." I told Perry. She looked at Carrie.

"Carrie, stealing has very serious consequences!" She scolded, actually sounding responsible for a minute. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Uh…I was sleepwalking?" Carrie replied, unsure if her aunt would believe it. Apparently, she did.

"Works for me. Say hi to your mom." On that final note, Perry walked away.

"Told you." Calla said in a sing-song voice. I sighed and handed her the ten dollars I now owed her.

"Shut up." I muttered before looking back at Carrie. The younger girl was smirking, proud of herself.

"See ya!" She laughed, standing up…only to realize her wrist was chained to the chair arm.

"The police are on the other side." Calla informed her. I smirked.

"Say hi to your cellmate." I laughed, waving goodbye.


	8. Bionic Dog

** Chase's POV **

"So, I was thinking that maybe we could combine our classes tomorrow." Calla was saying as we walked out of the cafeteria. "Maybe have the students do two on two battles."

"For teamwork purposes, or do you just want to see whose students are better in a fight?" I challenged. She laughed lightly.

"A bit of both." She admitted. "But you have to admit, it would be a good idea to get the different groups of students working together to complete challenges. They need to learn to work with different partners."

"You make a good point." I agreed just as the hydroloop pulled into the area. I figured it was probably Adam. He, Bree and Jaden of them had gone back to the mainland to help Officer Parker with some things around the house. Jaden and Bree had both planned on staying a few days so they could meet up with some old friends (that was what they claimed their reason was. I think it was just that they wanted some time to themselves.) Meanwhile Adam was supposed to head back when he was done.

"Hey guys!" My brother grinned at us when the doors slid open, much happier than normal. He cut us off before anyone could greet him. "Guess what I found!"

A corgi jumped out of the hydroloop; tail wagging swiftly as he ran up to us. "Where'd you get a dog?" Kieran demanded as Rio reached down to pet him.

"Please do not say from a guy with sunglasses and a cane." She pleaded, glancing up for a brief second.

"No." Adam shook his head. "He started sniffing me when I got on the hydroloop, then he went crazy and wouldn't leave me alone."

"And by any chance did you have meat in your pockets?" I asked.

"No!" Adam retorted before hesitating. "Wait, is salami a meat?"

"Why would you have…you know what, never mind." Calla must have decided it was probably better not to ask.

I sighed. Mr. Davenport probably wouldn't like us taking in a stray dog, and even though Douglas was the one keeping an eye on us this week, I didn't think Mr. Davenport would be too happy when he got back. "Sorry Adam, but he can't stay." On queue, the dog sat down, looking at my boyfriend expectantly.

"Whoa, did you see that?" Adam asked, stunned. "You said stay and he did! He's a genius!"

Calla laughed lightly. "Genius or not, he doesn't belong to us." She knelt down, petting the dog with one hand while the other grabbed at his collar. "Hmm, no owner information. But it says here that his name's-"

"Otis?" We looked up to see Douglas standing at the other end of the room, eyes wide. Grinning, he whistled and Otis ran towards him, licking the man's hands excitedly. "That's my dog. He was a stray I found and nursed back to health back when Krane and I bought our first evil lair together. Actually, it was more of an evil townhouse."

We all looked at Douglas in bemusement. "How were we ever afraid of you?" Calla laughed lightly.

"This guy got me through some pretty rough times." Douglas continued. Leo raised an eyebrow at that.

"Well, it's nice to hear that you had someone to comfort you while you were plotting to kill us." Leo deadpanned before walking away, no longer interested in the dog.

Douglas ignored him. "I think Otis ran away because Krane terrified him. He must have been searching for me forever! I bet he smelled my scent on Adam and followed him back here!"

"Are you sure it's the same dog?" Rio asked. "It could be another dog named Otis."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Watch. Otis, sit." Douglas commanded. Otis followed his every command to a T. "Look left, look right. Speak."

"Whoa!" Adam looked at Douglas in awe when Otis was done. "I can't even do all that."

"I'll tell you another little secret." Douglas added. "Otis has super strength."

My eyes widened. "You gave bionics to an animal?"

Douglas nodded, shrugging. "He was injured and I needed to save his life."

"Well, I'm glad you saved him, but I can't believe you wasted bionics on a dog." I replied.

"Well, to be fair, he gave Adam bionics, and he has pretty much the same intelligence as a dog." Calla pointed out. Douglas chuckled.

"Well, I wouldn't call either of those a waste." He replied before looking down at Otis. "Do your thing, Otis."

Otis leaped up instantly, kicking me to the ground before landing back on his feet. I looked up as the dog wagged his tail cheerfully, tongue sticking out of his mouth.

"Cool, I thought I was gonna have to train him to do that!" I rolled my eyes at Adam's joke, pushing myself to my feet.

** Adam's POV **

So, it took some convincing, but Rio finally agreed to play cards with Otis and I after three days of begging. I think it was mainly out of amusement, but she seemed to be enjoying it.

Rio, Otis, and I had just been starting our game when Calla and Chase walked in; too absorbed in the work they had on their tablets to even notice us. I chose to ignore them and let them work while we played. They could join us later if they wanted to.

But unfortunately, they weren't as quiet as I expected. Well, Calla was. Chase kept sneezing every three minutes, distracting us from the game.

"Bless you." Calla said absently in response to a particularly loud sneeze coming from her boyfriend.

"Chase, can you keep it down?" I requested, getting a little annoyed at the constant distractions. "We're trying to play cards here."

Chase gave me a half-hearted glare as he stole a Kleenex out of the tissue box he'd brought in with him. I looked at Rio, then at Otis.

"Alright, what you got?" I asked.

"Three." Rio sighed, flipping over her card. I placed down my eight, then looked at Otis expectantly. He lifted his card with his nose, revealing the Ace of Diamonds.

"Another Ace?" I complained. "Man, you're better than most dogs I play with."

"I can't believe I'm losing a card game to an oversized poodle." Rio complained, handing over her card.

"It's not a poodle, it's a- achoo!" Chase's whole body jolted at the sudden. "…Corgi."

"Are you allergic to Otis or something?" Rio asked, handing him the tissue box he'd accidently knocked over. He shook his head, wiping his nose.

"I doubt it. We have a dog back home, Glitch, and I'm fine around him. I don't see why I'd have issues around one dog and not the other." Chase replied. Calla looked up.

"Actually Chase, some people are allergic to certain breeds of dogs, and not to others." She told him. "I wouldn't be surprised if you're allergic to Corgis and not to Labradors."

"I've never even heard of that." Chare retorted. Calla nodded.

"It happens. My cousin Faith's allergic to long haired cats, but not shorthairs. Some people just have weird allergies." She offered. Chase rolled his eyes.

"That's-achoo!" Chase broke off, another sneeze interrupting him. Calla raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, you may be right."

"Well, suck it up and stop sneezing." I grumbled, eager to get back to my game. Chase looked at me.

"Adam, if that fur factory's really the thing making me sneeze, you've got to get rid of him!" He exclaimed. I stood up, looking down at my little brother.

"Stop right there." I told him, my tone deadly serious. "Otis is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

"Oh really? Better than being a bionic superhuman and going on life saving missions?" Calla challenged. I nodded.

"He lets me rub his belly." I replied. Chase looked at me.

"Better than Rio?" He questioned. I glanced back at the pretty girl, then looked back at Calla and Chase.

"Alright, Otis is the second best thing that's ever happened to me." I amended. "But you still can't get rid of him."

Before he could respond, Douglas walked into the room, a happy grin on his face. "What's up, Otis?" He petted his dog happily. Of course, Chase had to ruin it by sneezing loudly. "Is he still making you sneeze?"

"Yes." Chase grumbled grouchily. "Calla thinks I'm allergic to him."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I stopped him, annoyed. "How do you know he's not allergic to you?"

Okay, I knew it wasn't my best retort, but c'mon! Bree had a pet and Chase had…well, he had his computer thingys. I just wanted my own dog, and Otis liked me.

"Adam!" Chase protested, jumping to his feet. I raised my hands, trying to keep him from losing his temper.

"Okay, chill. I know just the thing that'll make you feel better." I offered. I looked at Otis. "Hit it, boy!"

Otis jumped onto the nearby piano bench (I still didn't know why we had a piano here seeing as no one knew how to play) and started pressing the keys. He played a short melody for us, earning chuckles from even Chase.

"Not his best." I admitted when Chase glanced at me, a smile on his face. "He's much better on guitar."

It was a good moment for a little bit, then Chase had to ruin it with another sneeze. Douglas sighed. "Adam, I know you love Otis, but Chase can't live like this."

"Fine, I have a solution." I offered. "Chase lives in a bubble."

"I'm not living in a bubble!" Chase protested, even as Rio laughed in amusement.

"You're right." I agreed. "It'll be much easier if you just leave the island. Thank you for your service, and good luck!"

My attempt to push Chase out the door was stopped by Calla. She grabbed his hand, pulling him back.

"Chase is right, Adam." Douglas told me. "He was here first, so Otis has to go."

"Oh, thank you so much for choosing me over a dog." Chase's tone was dripping with sarcasm. Calla rolled her eyes.

"Well, it was a hard decision." She joked. She grabbed their tablets off the table and pulled on his hand. "C'mon. We can go finish this in your living quarters."

"Alright." Chase sighed, following her out. Rio knelt down next to Otis, running her fingers through his fur.

"We don't really have to get rid of him, do we? I mean, can't we just get Chase some allergy medicine or something?" She pleaded. I nodded.

"How could you just give in like that?" I questioned.

"Don't worry; we're not getting rid of Otis." Douglas assured us. I nodded, smiling.

"I get it. So we're taking Chase to the pound." I grinned.

"No, we're going to hide Otis." Douglas corrected.

"Then we take Chase to the pound?" Rio asked, her voice teasing. I looked at Douglas hopefully. While Rio might be joking, I was serious.

"No!" Douglas insisted.

** Xxx **

"Good boy, good boy..." I broke off, my hand freezing on top of Otis' head when I heard noises from down the hall. "Otis, hide!"

Otis laid down on the blanket and rolled with it, the pink cloth covering most of his body. "I can still see you!" I hissed, covering his face with the blanket and grabbing the nearest book. I opened it to a random page just as Calla walked in.

She stopped in front of me, then looked at the blanket, then at me. She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, this isn't suspicious at all." She commented dryly. I frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I responded carefully. Calla glanced at Rio, who was sitting next to me, actually reading.

"Does he seriously think this is going to work?" She asked. Rio nodded just as Chase walked in. He started to walk past us, but stopped suddenly. He turned on the spot, giving me a strange look.

"Adam, are you reading a book?" He asked, confused.

"No, I'm pretending to read a book. Duh." I replied, glancing down at the pages. Suddenly, Chase sneezed again.

"Ugh, why am I still sneezing?" He complained.

"Because you refuse to live in a bubble." I insisted instantly. I didn't understand why he thought it was such a bad idea. I think it would be fun.

Rio shook her head, looking at Chase. "Otis may have left some fur behind. That's probably why your allergies are still acting up." She lied. Chase nodded.

"That's probably it. You coming, babe?" He asked, leading Calla out of the room. Calla glanced at the blanket on the ground, shook her head, and followed him. The second they were gone, I grinned and started petting Otis again.

"Pretty smooth, huh?" I asked as he poked his head out of the blanket. I pulled it off of him and followed the dog towards the nearby table. "C'mon, boy. Time to show me that chess game you're always talking about."

"Aha!" Chase leapt into the room, pointing at me with an accusing look on his face while Calla leaned up against the wall with her arms crossed. "I knew it! My allergies are worse than ever! You kept Otis!"

"What? No, that's not Otis." My mind raced for a reasonable enough lie. "Stand Otis!" I hissed before draping the blanket over him. "This is our long lost cousin…Bolgia…from the old country, where shaving is illegal."

There was a moment of silence as Rio struggled not laugh, Calla hid her smirk behind her hand, and Chase just looked at me. "Adam, that's a dog in a blanket."

Well, I wasn't one to admit when I was lying, so I continued smoothly. "Look, I know she's not the most attractive woman, but she's family!"

Before Chase could call me an idiot, and I know he wanted to, the nearby computer started beeping loudly. Frowning, Calla pressed a button on the screen and it showed a blueprint of the school, a small section of it glowing red.

"There's been an accident in the explosives area." She announced, looking at us. I nodded.

"Let's go." I replied. I glanced at Otis. "C'mon Bolgia. Let's show Chase that trick where you run like a dog!"

The five of us (Otis included) raced down the hall towards the explosives area as fast as we could.

** Chase's POV **

When we got to the explosives area (why we even had an explosives area on a school was beyond me) several of the explosive containers were knocked over, a couple lying on top of Douglas.

"Douglas!" I shouted, racing forward. Adam quickly lifted the explosive canister off of him and I pulled him to his feet. Rio and Calla quickly, but carefully, reset the other canisters right side up, being especially cautious not to hit them on anything.

"What happened?" Calla demanded as Douglas got his bearings.

"I don't know." He groaned, rubbing his chest. "I was in here doing inventory and when I turned the corner, I tripped on something and everything fell.

I looked down, trying to find what he tripped on, but Rio beat me to the punch. "Is this a tripwire?" She demanded, holding a small, transparent string up. It was almost impossible to see, and had we not been looking for it, I doubt we would have found it.

"We know one thing." I announced. "This was no accident. Someone strung this tripwire."

"You're right." Adam nodded, stretching his arms out. "And it was stretched from here to here, which means, it had to have been someone with at least twelve foot arms."

Even Otis face-palmed at that. I looked at Douglas.

"Someone rigged that wire to the explosives." I told him. Calla looked at the tripwire still clutched between Rio's fingers.

"Imagine if it had been rigged properly and had worked." She murmured. She looked at Douglas. "The whole place would have blown, with you in it."

"Hey, I've got an idea." Adam took the tripwire from Rio and bent down next to Otis. He held it up in front of the dog's nose. "Sniff. Now go get the bad guy."

Otis calmly walked up to me, sniffing my fingers. Adam looked at me, stunned. "I knew it. It was you!"

"I live here! Why would I want to blow this place up?" I retorted.

"Don't ask me to explain the motives of a mad man." Adam snapped. "Let me measure your arms."

"Adam, it wasn't Chase. Now knock it off." Calla told him. Rio nodded.

"He wouldn't do this." She agreed, finally not siding with Adam on something.

"Just get me some measuring tape." Adam retorted, forcing my arms up.

"It's not Chase, damn it." Douglas pushed Adam away from me. "Look, let's just figure this out, alright?"

"Fine." Adam sulked. "But then can I measure his arms?"

** Adam's POV **

"Bang, bang!" I said, holding my hand up like a gun. Otis fell to the floor, playing dead. As the rest of us laughed, Chase walked back into the room.

"Well?" Calla looked up from her spot across from me. Chase sighed.

"I checked every inch of the explosives area and I still can't figure out who set that trap." He responded, sounding frustrated.

"Oh please! End the charade you demented genius!" I retorted. I didn't really think Chase would do something like this – it was Chase, after all – it was still fun to mess with him.

"I'm going to go scan the security footage to see if I can find any clues." Chase continued before sneezing loudly. "And would someone get that dog off the island?"

Douglas sighed. "Yeah, we will." He promised my brother. Calla climbed to her feet, brushing off her jeans.

"I'll help you with the security footage if you want." She offered. Chase nodded.

"Thanks." He smiled at her, leading the way into the other room. Douglas got to his feet with a sigh.

"Alright kids, the jig is us. I have to take Otis back to the mainland." Douglas told Rio and I.

"Fine." "If you must." We replied.

Douglas motioned for Otis to follow him, but the dog refused to move, instead choosing to stare at Rio and I with his big, sad eyes and whimper.

"Oh, he wants to say goodbye." I cooed, petting him. "I know buddy. We're going to miss you too."

"Bye-bye Otis." Rio patted his head a couple of times before getting to her feet. "I'm going to go help Calla and Chase while you say your goodbye." She told me before walking out of the room.

"I'll think of you every time I drag my butt across the carpet." I assured him. I really didn't want him to go. It was nice having a pet around here, and the students that we showed him too seemed to really like him as well. It really wasn't fair.

Suddenly, a weird fog seemed to flow over my mind. It was weird, confusing. All of a sudden, I rose to my feet and walked over to Douglas. It wasn't on purpose though – it was as if I wasn't in control of my own actions.

That was made especially clear when I licked Douglas' face against my will. "What are you doing? That is disgusting!" Douglas shouted, pushing me away. "And why do I think Otis' tongue is cleaner than yours."

Before I could tell him that I didn't mean to and that something was wrong with me, I licked him again. Why was I licking him?

"Aw, great! He's loose!" Douglas gestured at the spot where Otis had been. He was missing now. "Now we have to go find him. C'mon."

I fell to my knees, attacking his pant leg with my hands and teeth. "What are you doing?" Douglas demanded.

"I don't know, I can't stop!" I exclaimed desperately before going back to attacking his pant leg. Douglas gripped the nearest support, trying to escape, but I was too strong. I managed to break free for a second, just long enough to say a couple of sentences. "But your pants taste surprisingly good! It's like you ran through a field of bacon!"

** Chase's POV **

"Holy crap." Calla, Rio, and I stared at the security footage in awe. Who would have thought he'd be the culprit?

"Guys! I've been all over the academy and I can't find Otis anywhere!" We turned to see Douglas stalking towards us, clearly upset. Adam ran after him, panting and grabbing at Douglas' shoulder. "And this one I can't get rid of!"

We watched, confused, as Adam tried to sniff Douglas. He actually tried to sniff him. "Stop it!" Douglas snapped, throwing him off,

"I'm trying, but I can't!" Adam retorted before trying to sniff him.

"Adam?" Rio asked, her tone gentle and confused. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know!" Adam insisted, his head shooting straight up. "Oh! I heard a cat!"

"Get down!" Douglas ordered. Adam kneeled down on the ground, his two hands tapping the floor in front of him impatiently.

I'd deal with that weirdness later. "We found out what happened in the explosives area. Look!"

I showed Douglas a copy of the security footage. It showed Otis, yes Otis, connected the trip wire to the barrels full of explosives. "Otis was the one who tried to take you out." Rio informed Douglas.

"That's impossible." Douglas protested. "We've always been best friends."

Yeah, totally best friends. I totally believed that once I saw Otis walk in, growling with his eyes glowing red. Douglas looked at him and chuckled nervously.

"Red means love, right?" He asked, confused.

"Hey Chase?" Calla glanced at me before turning her attention back on Otis. "Can't you scan his chip to see what's going on?"

"Good idea." I agreed, focusing my bionics on his. A list of his abilities appeared in front of me, on a virtual screen only I could see. "He's got super strength, heat vision…and an override app? Why would you give Otis an override app?"

"I didn't!" Douglas replied. "Why would a dog ne…wait a minute. It must have been Krane. After I turned on him, I bet he reprogrammed Otis' chip and gave him a mission: find me and take me out!"

We looked over to see Adam kneeling in front of Otis, both my brother's and the dog's tongues sticking out of their mouths. "I bet he's controlling Adam to help him do it, which is why he's acting like a dog."

As if on queue, Adam started growling at us, his teeth bared menacingly. Or, in a way that would have been menacing if he actually was a dog. Since he was human, it just looked weird. "Adam, stop." I instructed, remembering the last time he'd been under someone else's control. It seemed so long ago, but I could still remember how dangerous he was. "You have to fight it!"

"Why don't you just use your override app on him?" Douglas demanded. I spun around, glaring at the idiot.

"No! I can't override and override app, guy who built me!" I snapped.

Suddenly, Adam leapt at us, growling. I pushed Calla and Rio over to the side, knowing that Adam would be furious with himself if he hurt either one of them, while Douglas grabbed a nearby mop and held the stick out to defend himself.

"You are a bad dog!" He scolded. While Adam was distracted, I leaped onto his back, wrapping my arms around his neck so I could hold on better. Unfortunately, my grip wasn't tight enough and he threw me off.

I hit the ground with a groan and Adam spun around to face Douglas, panting heavily. "Oh c'mon, how can I not get a treat for that?" Douglas didn't even have time to answer before Adam got an idea. "I know! I'll throw him harder!"

"No!" I protested, trying to get away from Adam. I heard Otis barking loudly and Douglas trying to calm him down, but nothing was working. "C'mon Adam, don't do this. Please?"

"Hey Adam!" My brother looked up just in time to be hit in the face with the tissue box I'd been holding earlier. Calla was holding another one in her hands, ready to throw. Thankfully, her distraction lasted just long enough for me to run over to Douglas, out of my brother's reach.

"Hey, I got an idea!" I grabbed his shoulder, regaining my balance. "Run!"

"Run?" Douglas repeated. "That's your idea, smartest guy in the world?"

"Just go!" I shouted back, racing off in the other direction, Rio following after me. I didn't see where Calla went, but I assumed that she followed Douglas.

"So, any other ideas?" Rio demanded when she realized that Adam and Otis had followed Douglas and Calla rather than us.

"Nope, you?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yeah." She disappeared into the next room for a brief second, coming out with a Frisbee and a few bouncy balls. "Wanna play fetch?"

I nodded, taking a ball from her and running into the training room. Calla and Douglas were standing behind a couple of punching bags. "Otis!" I called, holding the ball out.

"Adam!" Rio sang, getting his attention. "Look, what I got!"

"Oh, it's a ball!" Adam dropped to his knees, fixated at the blue orb in Rio's hand.

"You want the ball, you want the ball?" She asked, waving it slightly.

"Yes I do, I do, I want the ball, I want the ball, give me the ball…" Adam pleaded, excitement making him talk faster.

"Go get it!" Rio tossed the ball over her shoulder, laughing lightly as Adam raced after it. She glanced at me. "Your turn, boy genius."

"Alright." I nodded, then looked at Otis. "Come on, Otis! I know you want it! Who's a good doggy, you are! Now go get the ball!" I threw the ball down the hall, just like Rio had, but Otis just stayed sitting.

"Fine." Douglas stepped out from behind the punching bag. "You stay here; I'll go get the ball."

The second he tried to make his getaway, Otis barked at him, growling fiercely. Calla backed up slightly, one hand gripping the bottom half of a broken mop. "Okay, one down. One more to go. Any other ideas?" She called, eyes on Otis.

"Give me a minute!" I retorted, trying to think.

** Xxx **

Twenty minutes later, and I still hadn't come up with a good plan. Douglas was crouched on top of the hydroloop tunnel, Otis on the ground, barking furiously at him. Calla, Rio, and I watched, trying to think of something.

Meanwhile, Adam finally brought us back the ball. I picked it up, watching slobber and saliva drip from it. "How did you get this saliva on it?"

Adam grinned. "That's not saliva."

I sighed, then threw the ball back down the hall. He chased after it while Rio let out a slow sigh. "Oh my God, my boyfriend's a dog."

"Hey, it's fine." Calla reassured her. "I once turned my boyfriend into a three year old. It usually works out in the end."

"Every day with him is going to be this crazy, isn't it?" Rio guessed. Calla nodded.

"Yeah, pretty much." She agreed. Rio nodded thoughtfully, then smiled.

"Awesome." She decided, both girls grinning. "Now, what do we do about Douglas?"

"Well, if you guys can find a way to distract Otis, I can use the chip extractor on him." Douglas shouted above the snarling.

"How?" I called back. "We've tried everything! Balls, toys, bones!"

"You have bones?" I turned to see Adam standing in the doorway. Calla rolled her eyes.

"Ball, fetch." She reminded him. He nodded quickly, running back after the ball. "Idiot."

"Everything dogs like!" I continued. "But they're only working on Adam!"

"Wait. Otis was always crazy about peanut butter!" Douglas exclaimed. I nodded, snapping my fingers.

"I'm on it!" I told him, before quickly grabbing a Skippy's peanut butter jar from the pantry. I came back just as Douglas was dodging heat vision blasts.

"Hey Otis!" I called, unscrewing the top of the jar and holding it out to him. "Look what I got!"

Otis glanced at me for a second, then continued on barking at Douglas. "Look, Otis, peanut butter. It's your favourite." Douglas encouraged.

Otis looked back at me, sniffing slightly. He started towards me, then changed his mind and went back to growling at Douglas. "It's not working." Rio pointed out.

"We have to think bigger. Much bigger." Calla decided. I frowned at her, not understanding, but judging by that smirk on her face, she already had a well-thought out plan. "C'mon. I've got an idea." She told me, dragging me off towards the kitchen.

** Xxx **

"Oh. My. God." Rio's hands went to her mouth when she saw me walk back into the room. I didn't blame her. After all, Calla had covered me head to toe in peanut butter.

"Oh, Otis." I called, getting his attention. His tongue fell out of his mouth the second he saw me. "Come and get it!"

Otis looked at me, then growled at Douglas. He looked back at me, then back at Douglas. He did this a couple of times, seeming confused. "I'm extra chunky." I encouraged. Clearly, that was all he needed.

The second he started after me, I was already running. I ran around the room once, just to make sure Otis would follow me, then ran into the training room, where Calla was waiting with a net.

"Gotcha!" She cried, tossing the net on top of him as I passed her. Exactly as planned, Otis got caught in the webbing and fell to the ground.

"Good idea with the net, Calla!" Douglas commended, jogging into the room with Rio hot on his heels. I looked at him.

"Hey, I'm the one covered in peanut butter!" I reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah. No one cares." He replied, dropping to his knees beside Douglas. He quickly inserted the chip extractor, removing the chip. "There, I got his chip." He handed the extractor to me, then removed the net.

Otis stood up and started licking Douglas in the face. "Otis, you're back!" The man cooed happily. "Hi boy!"

Adam ran in then, the ball in his mouth. He dropped to his knees, let go of the ball, and sighed. "I'm exhausted." He complained. Then he sniffed the air. "What's that smell?" He looked at me and his entire face lit up. "Ooh! Peanut butter!"

He tackled me to the ground, licking the peanut butter off my jacket shoulder. "Adam, stop!" I protested, trying and failing to push him off of me.

"Don't blame me, it's the dog!" He exclaimed before going back to licking me.

"But I removed his chip." Douglas informed him. Adam hesitated.

"Okay, it's me." He admitted, going back to licking the peanut butter off my clothes. It wasn't long before Otis joined in, the corgi going straight for the face.

** Adam's POV **

Three hours later, when Chase was clean and free of all peanut butter, it was time for Otis to leave.

"So, you find Otis a good home?" Chase asked, looking at Douglas. Rio was missing, off trying to find Kieran to tell him what happened. As for Calla, she was standing near the corner, talking into her phone. I wasn't sure who she was talking to, but she seemed really excited about something, so I assumed it was whomever she bought parts for her inventions from.

"Yeah, big yard, kids, nice family. The Kranes." We both looked at him. "No relation."

I sighed and bent down to pet the dog. "Okay Otis, this is goodbye. You'll always be in my heart. And after eating all that grass, so will those worms."

Before anyone could say anything else, I could hear arguing happening from down the hall. "Give me back that phone, Leo!"

"Don't worry Shelly; I got you!" We turned to see Kieran and Leo practically tackling each other over a phone, both trying to steal it from the other.

"Don't listen to him, Leah! I'll save you!" Kieran shouted. In their fighting, they managed to knock the phone onto the ground. Before either could grab it, Otis walked up to it, and started doing his business on it.

Both Kieran and Leo looked at the phone in horror. "You can have it." Kieran offered.

"Nah, I'm good." Leo replied.

** Chase's POV **

"So, what was all that about?" I asked as Calla walked into the room. As soon as Otis had left, Calla had gone to get some sort of explanation from Kieran and Leo as to what was going on.

"Apparently, they were both dating Leo's phone." She shrugged. "Those boys need girlfriends."

"Yeah." I agreed. She looked at the hydroloop, then at me.

"Jaden and Bree back yet?" She asked. I frowned.

"No. I thought they weren't getting back until Monday." I replied. She smirked.

"I asked them to come back early. And to bring Adam something." She replied.

Almost as if on queue, the hydroloop pulled into the tunnel. "Speak of the devils. Adam!"

"What?" Adam walked in, Rio holding his hand. Calla smirked and gestured at the hydroloop as it opened.

"Guess who we brought with us!" Bree sang, hopping out of the hydroloop. A medium sized, golden Labrador Retriever bolted out from between her legs, clearly pleased to be out of the small area.

"Glitch!" I exclaimed as Rio bent down to pet the boy.

"Who?" She asked, looking at Adam.

"He's our dog from Mission Creek. The one Chase isn't allergic to." Adam replied, scratching our dog's belly. I looked at Jaden and Bree.

"That's nice of you guys to bring him, but how are you going to convince Mr. Davenport to let us keep him here?" I asked. Calla smiled.

"I already called him. He said it was fine, so long as someone took him on walks around the Academy once a day and that then mentors and Jaden are in charge of feeding and grooming him."

"Awesome!" Adam grinned, petting the dog. Calla nodded.

"Oh, and no one's allowed to give him bionics." She sent a pointed look at Douglas. He smirked.

"No promises." He replied.


	9. Mission Mania

** Leo's POV **

Another day, another mission. At least, I wish it was like that. Usually, we only got a mission a week now, which wasn't as much fun since I hadn't been part of the team for long. Less missions meant less time being able to show the public how completely awesome I was.

Still, I enjoyed the missions that we did go on. Take today, for example. There was a massive fire at a camping area full of cabins in the woods. We had to go rescue the people, which I enjoyed almost as much as the fame.

"Alright, that's the last few!" Bree exclaimed, skidding to a stop beside Adam, Chase and I. She pushed the man she'd dragged with her over to the rest of the people we saved, then looked back at us. "Including one very ungrateful grizzly." Said grizzly took that opportunity to growl his retort at Bree. "Oh, shut it!"

" _Alright guys, the fire department can handle things from there."_  Like usual, Calla was back on the island, communicating with us and coordinating the mission through the use of the comm links.  _"Good work."_

"Thanks babe." Chase smiled. "We'll be home within the hour."

" _Cool. See you guys then."_  Calla replied sounding slightly distracted. Probably working on that project she'd been obsessed with for the past few weeks. I didn't know what it was, but it must have been serious, considering how focused she's been on it.

Just then, reporters and other fans ran up, holding out microphones for interviews and pads of paper for autographs.

"Life is so much better now that we don't have to keep our missions a secret." Adam sighed happily, signing a young woman's notebook. I nodded.

"I know." I agreed, grinning. "Now people can tell us how great we are right to our faces."

As if on queue, the crowd began chanting. However, I noticed immediately that they were one name short. "Adam, Bree, and Chase! Adam, Bree, and Chase!"

"Are you kidding me?" I muttered to myself before raising my voice. "I've been going on missions for over a month, how can these people not know my name?"

"Well, maybe you should change it to something people won't forget." Adam suggested. "Like Gregory Spiridacus, or Pickles O'Mally."

" _Personally, I like Pickles O'Mally. Has a nice ring to it, you know."_  Calla interjected.

"You, shut up." I snapped irritably. My response only made her laugh. I turned back to the crowd. "Can I have your attention please? I'd like to point out that Adam, Bree, and Chase weren't the only heroes. I personally saved 6 people."

The crowd considered that, then changed their chant. "Adam, Bree, Chase, and that guy!" They chanted. "Adam, Bree, Chase, and that guy!"

I stared at them, annoyed. "Alright, the six I saved? Back in the fire."

** Kieran's POV **

Classes had been cancelled today due to our mentors going on a late night mission yesterday, so I'd taken the opportunity to sleep in. After a few hours, I decided I probably should get up, and went to go find my twin sister. I eventually located her, Spin, Bob, Calla, and Douglas in one of the lesser used classrooms, surrounded by strange looking gadgets.

"What's going on?" I yawned, walking in. Rio smiled at me.

"Douglas is showing off his new inventions." She

told me, smiling brightly. Well, at least one of us was a morning person.

"New inventions?" I repeated. Douglas nodded.

"As I was telling the others, Donny put me in charge of developing most of the technology for the Academy." He explained. "On a trial basis, that is."

"Why just a trial basis?" Spin asked curiously.

"I honestly don't know." Douglas replied. Calla looked at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"You tried to annihilate his whole family." She pointed out.

"C'mon, you've met him! Can you blame me?" Douglas retorted.

"Don't worry, big guy." Bob patted his arm. "I'm sure you'll wipe them out next time."

"The point is," Douglas continued, "I have the chance to get back into my brother's good graces. So, I've been working on some new devices that are going to really impress Donny. What do you guys want to see first? The Stabber2000, Plague in a Bottle, the Pencil Bazooka?"

We stared at him for a second. "Can't erase the injuries this thing will cause."

Again, we stared at him. "How would any of those be used at the Academy?" I questioned, looking at him.

"Well, how should I know?" Douglas retorted. "This one, with the questions!"

"Douglas, Mr. Davenport doesn't want you to build violent devices, he wants you to build things that are going to improve our lives."

"Well I don't know if that's really in my will house." Douglas grumbled. He looked around. "I have been destroying things for years, and now I'm supposed to help people? Where did my life go so wrong?"

Before Calla could respond, her phone buzzed. She checked it quickly, a small smile lighting up on her face before she glanced at us. "That's Chase. He was going to go over some design plans for a little invention of mine. Douglas ain't the only one trying to build stuff for the school."

"Yeah, go ahead. We'll catch up with you later." I told her. She glanced at the table full of dangerous weapons, then sighed.

"Alright, but…" She made sure Douglas wasn't listening before looking at Rio and I seriously. "Do me a favour? Make sure he doesn't kill anyone, accidently or not?"

"Will do." "You're the boss." We replied. She smiled.

"Thanks." She told us before running off to meet up with Adam, Bree, Chase, and Leo. The second she was gone, Rio looked at Douglas.

"C'mon Douglas, you must have something." She insisted. He sighed, then looked at a white chair behind us.

"Well, maybe this will work." He replied. I looked it over, smirking.

"Italian furniture, I approve." I told him, nodding.

"No, it's my lie detector chair." Douglas explained. "You strap somebody into it, ask them a question, and it analyses their vocal patterns to determine if they're telling the truth."

"I like it." Bob nodded. "But do you have anything in a lie detecting hammock?"

We ignored him. "Just try it out." Douglas ordered. Bob sighed, sat down in the chair, and buckled himself in. Then he hesitated.

"Wait, this thing's not going zap me if I tell a lie, is it?" He asked, unsure.

"No." Douglas assured him. Bob smiled in relief. "It'll spin you around and spins up to Mock 3."

"What?" Bob demanded, already fumbling for the seatbelt.

"It's like a merry-go-round with a horrible violent twist." Douglas replied pleasantly.

"On second thought, I'm late for class." Bob lied. Instantly, the seat let out a buzz and started spinning. Bob screamed as it went around and around, only stopping when the seat finally stilled.

"Are you okay?" Rio demanded. She was concerned, while Spin and I were having trouble keeping our amused laughs silent.

"Yeah." Bob nodded, still gripping the edge of the seat. "I feel great."

Another buzz and the seat started spinning again. He screamed again, this time sounding a little more girlish. When it finally stopped, Bob's face was tinted green. "If you keep me in this thing, I am definitely going to ruin it!" He groaned. Douglas chuckled.

"So, what do you guys think?" He asked.

"I think you need to start looking for a new job." I replied. Douglas looked at me. "I don't think Mr. Davenport's going to like the fact that your inventions hurt the students."

"Why does this school always have to be about the students?" Douglas grumbled, walking away. I looked at Bob.

"Need help out of that chair, little man?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nah, I've got it." He assured me. Suddenly, the nearest computer screen lit up, the words MISSION ALERT briefly appearing on it.

"Calla!" I called into the comm set, sending the details to the main computer.

" _Yeah, we know."_  She replied back.  _"Don't worry, we've got it handled."_

"Hey!" Spin pulled the comm set away from me. "Can we help on the mission?"

" _Uh, sorry kiddo. You're still not mission-ready."_  She apologized.  _"Maybe next time."_

Spin sighed. "I'm never going to be mission ready." He grumbled, putting away the comm set.

"Don't worry Spin." Bob told him as he unbuckled his seat belt. "I think you're mission ready."

There was a loud buzz, and the seat started spinning again. Except this time, Bob had no seatbelt on to hold him down. He went flying through the air, just to crash through the table.

"Ouch." Spin winced sympathetically. "Right on the Stabber2000."

** Leo's POV **

"We got a mission alert from this address, m'am!" Chase exclaimed, running over to an old lady. I was surprised to see us get a mission so quickly, only a few hours after my plan went into motion. I figured I'd have to wait a few days, but hey, I'm not complaining.

"And don't panic because Adam, Chase, and Leo are here." I added.

"My cat, Kernel Cuddles, ran up this tree." The woman explained. "Can you please get him down?"

We stared at her. Seriously? That was our mission? "I don't think it classifies as a mission if we could be replaced by a ladder." Adam hissed to Chase, looking up at the tree. There was a large, brownish grey form in one of the higher branches, the animal staring down at us with wide eyes. "I mean, seriously? Rescuing a cat from a tree?"

"No, we're rescuing a raccoon from a tree." Chase corrected, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Aww, cute. He's chewing on that sleeping squirrel." Adam smiled, not aware that the squirrel was most definitely not alive.

Suddenly, a loud beeping filled out ears, coming from the comm links. "Calla? Was that another mission alert?" Chase questioned, recognizing the specific alarm sound.

" _Actually, it was five more mission alerts._ " She corrected him. I nodded.

"Sounds like five more opportunities for this guy to be a hero." I grinned at the thought.

"This guy?" Adam repeated. "I thought you were 'that guy'. Make up your mind."

"That's a lot of mission alerts." Chase muttered.

" _Yeah, I know. I'm gonna go with Bree, see if I can help. We'll call you if we need help."_  Calla told us before cutting off communications. Chase looked at us.

"Alright, let's go." He told us. We began to walk away, but the old lady stopped us.

"Wait! What about my cat?" She demanded.

Chase sighed and looked at her. "It's at your feet, m'am, where it's been the whole time."

"Oh." The old lady looked down to see the cat brushing up against her leg. Shaking our heads, we walked away, heading to our next mission.

** Xxx **

"Fifteen straight missions and not one real emergency!" Chase complained as all five of us walked back into our room. Jaden was waiting for us, sitting in one of the chairs. He stood up when we entered, immedietly taking Bree's bag from her shoulders.

"Fifteen fake missions? Seriously?" He asked, placing his girlfriend's stuff on the table. Chase nodded.

"What a waste of my immense talent and unique skill set!" My step-brother continued. We looked at him, but everyone else seemed too tired to comment on his vanity.

"Yeah, I don't know which mission was more annoying; the lady that ran out of gas, or the guy who didn't know which side dish to order." Bree added as Jaden pulled her onto the couch with him. She laid her head on his shoulder, sighing tiredly.

"I do. The lady who ran out of gas. I had to watch her push her car for two miles." Adam replied. Calla shook her head as she dumped her stuff onto the floor next to the door.

"No way. The worst had to be that babysitter who didn't know how to change a diaper." She slumped down into the bean bag chair. "I mean, didn't he think it would be part of the job?"

"Guys, I feel proud to spend time with our adoring public." I told them. "Now if you'll excuse me, America's newest bionic hero is about to get busy with some baby carrots."

I pulled off my gloves, walking towards the snack dispenser we had in our room. Chase was in one of his let's-all-eat-healthy-foods moods, so my options today were baby carrots, celery, or fresh fruit. Clearly, baby carrots were the way to go.

"I don't get it." I heard Bree say as my back was turned. "How did all those people know how to contact us?"

"No, it's easy. You just touch a bunch of buttons until someone says hello." Adam muttered.

"Yeah, but it's not like our number's in the phone book or anything." Calla pointed out. Suddenly, their talking grew quiet. They weren't silent, I could definitely hear soft murmurs, but they were being deliberately soft.

"LEO!" I jumped at the sound of my name. Guess I was busted. But just in case I wasn't, I decided to play along.

"Ah, the life of a bionic hero. Am I right people?" I asked, lowering myself down into the arm chair. Everyone got up to look at me.

"Yeah, nothing says bionic hero like cheap business cards." Bree growled, showing me the red business card in her hands. I could see the picture of me clearly, with massive biceps and a large grin.

"They had to be cheap," I replied, fully aware that I'd been caught, "how else was I supposed to afford ten thousand of them?"

"Why would you do this?" Chase looked at me.

I sighed. "I just wanted people to know I was part of the team."

"Wait." Jaden plucked the card out of Bree's hands. "Did they airbrush your biceps?"

"No." I retorted before grinning. "I did."

"This was a terrible idea, Leo!" Chase snapped at me.

"Relax, it's just a few little business cards." I assured them. Then I noticed what was playing on my tablet. "Oh look! It's my commercial!"

The screen showed all four of us, although the pictures of Adam, Bree, and Chase were really just cardboard cut-outs.

" _Hello, my name is Leo Dooley."_  I said on screen.  _"Are you the victim of an accident or terrible disaster? If so, great! I can help! My bionic team can solve any life threatening situation! And remember the Leo Dooley promise: if I don't save your life, your next mission is free! Call now! Not responsible for any injuries caused during any rescue."_

Now, aside from me nearly knocking over Adam's cardboard cut-out, I thought that went really well. The others, apparently, did not.

"Leo, I can't believe you did that!" Bree exclaimed.

"I can't believe no one told me we were charging for missions! Where's my cut?" Adam demanded.

"We don't charge for missions!" Chase assured him. Then he looked at Calla. "Do we?"

"No!" She replied, sounding a bit offended that he would even ask that. Chase turned back to me.

"Leo, that is not cool!" He told me. I rolled my eyes.

"Relax, it's just one little commercial and it's only run once." I told him, just as a commercial began to play.

" _Hola, minombre esLeoDooley!"_  I dropped the tablet, hoping they didn't notice the Spanish version of the commercial playing.

** Kieran's POV **

"Hey, how's it going?" I asked Douglas, walking back from lunch with my twin sister, Bob, and Spin.

"Invent anything that won't scar us for life?" Spin asked, looking at a strange cylinder in Douglas' hands. He sighed.

"It's all still too dangerous." He replied, getting up. "The safest thing I've got is this nerve gas. It only eats half your brain."

If that was the safest thing, I was scared to see what else he came up with. "Let's put a pin in that one." Rio suggested, taking the cylinder from him and placing it on the nearest table. Douglas nodded.

"Good idea." He agreed. Spin looked at him.

"Maybe we can help you come up with something else." He suggested.

"Oh, I know!" Bob exclaimed. "A metal box that heats up bread and makes it crispy so you can put butter on it."

"That's called a toaster, Bob. It was invented a hundred and twenty years ago." Douglas pointed out.

"How about a machine that takes you from the first floor to the second?" Bob continued.

"Elevator." Douglas answered.

"How about stairs that move?"

"Escalator."

"Stairs that don't move."

"Stairs, Bob!" I could tell by Douglas' tone that his patience was wearing thin. He walked over to the hydroloop, opening the doors. "You know, I have one for you. How about a machine that gets rid of all the things that annoy you?"

"Ooh." Bob seemed intrigued, though the rest of us had figured it out. "I like it. What's it called?"

"A hydroloop." Without hesitation, Douglas pushed Bob into the hydroloop and sent him halfway across the island.

"He'll be back." Spin sighed sadly. "He always comes back."

I nodded, agreeing with him. We could never truly rid ourselves of Bob.

** Leo's POV **

We watched as the main computer's map pretty much lit up red, mission alert appearing in every state across the country.

"We've got mission alerts coming in from all over the country. There's no way we can handle them all!" Adam exclaimed. "I told you we should have opened up a Canadian branch!"

"Great. Now that you've added a phone number to the system, the whole world has direct access to us!" Chase glared at me in frustration. I smiled.

"That's right." I replied. "World-wide baby."

If I could do that in a couple of days, who knows what I could do given twice that time?

"We have no way to differentiate between a real mission and some guy who can't find one of his shoes!" Bree complained. Adam sighed,

"I'm sorry, I panicked. Next time I'll check my feet first." He apologized. Calla sighed.

"I bet you that at least 90% of these mission alerts are false calls, so do you have any idea how to deal with this?" She looked at her boyfriend.

"We don't have a choice. We have to ignore some of them and let the local authorities handle it." Chase sighed. I stared at him.

"You can't do that!" I argued. "I made a promise to help people. In two languages, and I'm working on a third for my Chinese friends. When people call in a mission alert, they expect Leo Dooley."

"But with bigger biceps." Bree corrected. "Or biceps."

"Look, Chase is right. We don't have the resources to handle all these missions. Ignoring some is the only way we can try to get something useful done." Jaden interrupted. Bree looked at him, noting that he was wearing jeans and a black jacket as opposed to his chef uniform.

"We?" Bree repeated. Jaden nodded. "You want to go on a mission?"

"Honestly, no. Not really." He admitted. "But you guys seem a little overwhelmed. I figured I'd help. An extra man, bionic or not, would be able to speed up the process a little, right?"

"Thanks Jaden." Bree smiled up at him just as we got another mission alert.

"Six false alarms from Highland Hills today." Calla declared, clearly not impressed that the new mission alert came from that location. Adam glanced at me.

"Sorry Leo, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me four, five, six times, I'm staying home." He told me. I looked at them, annoyed that they were ignoring a mission alert, even if Chase made a good point about us having too many to worry about.

"So you're just going to blow it off?" I demanded.

"We have to. Even with Calla and Jaden both helping, we don't have the man power." Chase defended his decision.

"Fine. Then I'll go to Highland Hills alone." I told them, starting to walk away. "But I'd better hurry; that place is scary after dark."

"Hey!" Adam stopped me by the hydroloop door. "If anything goes wrong, you can always call the guy with the big biceps." He handed me my own business card. "But prepare to be disappointed."

Glaring, I snatched the card from him and walked away, heading for Highland Hills.

** Kieran's POV **

I looked up from me and Rio's card game as Bob's voice filled the air. Douglas walked in, an annoyed expression on his face as Bob listed different inventions already invented. Spin followed the two of them, his expression identical to Douglas'.

"A machine that pumps cold air into a hot room!"

"Air conditioner, Bob!" Douglas snapped angrily. I chuckled. "And I'm also not going to invent the automobile, aluminum-siding, or beef stew!"

"Then what are we even doing here?" The younger boy argued.

"I see Bob found his way back." I mused. Spin nodded.

"I told you he'd be back." He agreed, sounding frustrated. Douglas looked at Rio and I.

"If he keeps this up, I'm going back to the dark side." He warned us, walking away. Rio looked at me.

"Hey, doesn't the dark side have cookies? That's what Adam says." She said. I sighed.

"Yes, but the light side has chocolate. Chocolate trumps cookies." I pointed out. She considered that.

"Fair enough." She agreed. Suddenly, the computer started beeping, more and more mission alerts appearing. Usually Calla would be here to answer them, but as she was on a mission, the desk was empty.

"Look at all those mission alerts!" Bob exclaimed, staring. Spin looked at the computer.

"The system's really backing up. Should we answer some?" He looked at me, almost for permission. I nodded.

"We'd better." I grabbed a few comm sets from the desk drawer. I handed Rio, Bob, and Spin each a pair, then activated mine.

"What do we do?" Bob asked.

"Just pick up the calls, ask what's wrong, and see if you can help." Rio replied, turning her headset on. "Hello, Mission Alert Central, Rio speaking. How can I help you?"

Suddenly, Bob started poking Spin in the shoulder. "What, Bob?" He asked, his hand hovering above the answer call button.

"When do we go on break?" Bob hissed.

** Leo's POV **

When I got to the mission location, I was shocked to learn that there actually was a legitimate emergency. I was standing on top of a roof, staring at a helicopter that was balancing precariously on the edge of a roof. Smoke was rising from the motor area. People were sitting inside, screaming in panic.

"I knew it. This is a real mission!" I exclaimed, dropping my bag and running towards the helicopter. "Don't panic, I'm going to get you out of there!"

I started towards the back of the helicopter. "But you knew that," I added, "since you called me."

They started screaming again as the helicopter began to tip. Thinking quickly, I jumped into the air, grabbing the back end of it. I managed to lower it for a few seconds. "Don't worry, I've got you!"

That is, until the weight of the helicopter lifted me off the ground. I let out a scream of surprise, gripping onto it. Clearly, my body mass and the strength of my bionics were balancing the helicopter. If I let go, the people and the rest of the helicopter would fall off the edge of the building. "Yes, I screamed like a girl, but it was a confident girl scream!" I told the people in the helicopter, knowing they heard the shriek. I screamed again as the helicopter tipped some more. "That was not!" I called as it steadied itself for a brief moment. Dang, I was in some serious trouble now.

I gripped the helicopter for dear life, trying to think. I couldn't let go, people would die. But I also couldn't hang on forever. "I'm going to call for help!" I shouted to the screaming helicopter passengers. I pulled my phone out with my non-bionic hand, then stopped.

"What's our number?" Of course I would forget the one phone number that would save our lives. "Wait, my business cards!"

And the guys thought they were a bad idea. Holding my phone in my mouth, I pulled out a handful of cards. I clutched them tight in my hand as I tried to reach for my phone.

As soon as I opened my hand to grab the phone though, all of the business cards flew out of my hand, slowly floating downwards to the empty street below the helicopter. Great! What was I going to do now?

** Kieran's POV **

"Don't worry sir. Just call a repair man and your window will be as good as new. Have a good day." I sighed, ending the call. These people's emergencies were really, really stupid. It sounded like the others were getting strange calls as well.

"Don't worry m'am, your hamster is going to be fine. Please hold." Spin assured one woman before covering the microphone with one hand and looking at the rest of us. "How do you get a hamster out of a sheep dog?"

Meanwhile, Bob was busy with his own call. "I'd be happy to pick you up sir. Just wait at baggage claim until I learn how to drive."

"Have you tried turning it off, then on again?" Rio sighed. "If that doesn't work, call someone else."

She ended her call before looking at me. "Humans frustrate me. Why can't they all just be bionic too?"

"Then we'd have nothing to brag about." I replied. She smirked.

"Fair enough. But I just wish they could figure out the answers to their own problems." She muttered.

"Bionic Mission Alert Headquarters, how can I help you?" Bob asked, answering another call. "No problem. Can I place you on a brief twenty minute hold?" He paused for about half a second. "Thank you and enjoy this awful music."

"That music really is awful." Rio agreed before answering another call.

Several minutes later, we were still getting annoying, stupid calls about everyday problems. And our advice wasn't really that helpful, if I was to be honest.

"Well, I've never been to the Caribbean, but I would go for the Half-Day Snorkel Adventure over the Paddle Boat Excursion."

"M'am, if you've lost your cell phone, why don't you try calling it from the phone you're using to call me?"

"You know what I say? Dump him! You are an independent woman, you go girlfriend!"

"Um, I really don't know anything about either series, but my sister's a fan of Doctor Who, so if you're that desperate for a TV show marathon, I'd go with that."

Like I said, weird problems, weird solutions.

"I am done racing all over the country for meaningless missions!" I glanced up from the computer as Adam, Calla, and Chase walked into the room.

"And I'm done explaining to people why I'm not the Spanish kid in the commercial." Adam agreed. Calla let out a sigh.

"Yeah, well I'm done being around stupid humans for the day." She commented. I frowned, exchanged looks with my sister.

"Calla, you're a human too. You do realize that right?" Rio pointed out. Calla nodded.

"Yes, and I still think my people are stupid. I'm just the exception." She retorted. Wow, she must be tired if she was willing to insult the entire human race. They all looked a little worn out, to be honest. They weren't necessarily doing much work, but they'd all been on their feet since about 5 this morning, trying to get to all the mission locations.

Suddenly, Chase caught sight of the mission screen. "Are you kidding me? More alerts?"

"We're answering as many as we can." Spin told him. Calla nodded at us, smiling gratefully.

"Thanks guys." She told us. Chase nodded.

"Yeah, good work." He looked at her and Adam. "C'mon, guys. We need to get Bree and Jaden and grab some more gear before we head out."

"Uh, we have way too many calls coming in. Can one of you guys help?" Rio asked, holding out a headset. Adam nodded.

"Can I do a funny accent?" He asked. Rio grinned as Chase and Calla walked away.

"Sure, but just so you know, nobody's buying Mr. Finkleshmit from Germany." She told him, leading him back to the computer desk. He smirked.

"Watch this." He answered a call, speaking in a bad German accent. "Hello this is Mr. Finkleshmit from right outside of Germany. How may I help you?"

Rio let out a giggle, covering her mouth with one hand. I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the way Adam was flirting with my sister. I mean, I liked Adam, a lot, and I was glad that there was someone around to make Rio smile like he did, but it was just annoying that they flirted so obviously. Especially since none of the other students on the island had a boyfriend or girlfriend.

"Leo?" Adam sounded surprised, dropping his accent. "No personal calls. This line's for emergency calls only!"

Leo? Why would Leo call the emergency hotline when he knew everyone's cell numbers? Before I could ponder this for very long, more and more calls drew my attention back to the job at hand.

** Leo's POV **

Finally, finally, I was taken off hold.

" _Hello this is Mr. Finkleshmit from right outside of Germany. How may I help you?"_

I recognized Adam's bad German accent instantly, the noise like music to my ears.

"Adam, it's Leo. I'm holding onto a helicopter so it doesn't fall off the side of a building." I told him, hoping the urgency in my voice would get him to listen. It did not.

" _Leo? No personal calls. This line's for emergency calls only!"_ With that final note, Adam hung up on me.

"No, don't hang up!" I pleaded desperately. "My phone's about to die!"

In my frustration, I accidently flung the cell phone away from me. Not exactly my best decision. I hung there for a minute, trying to decide what to do, before glancing at the people inside the helicopter. "Does anyone mind holding onto this helicopter so I can go grab my phone?"

** Kieran's POV **

We spent another few minutes answering calls until Chase ran back in. "Come on Adam, we have to go." Chase told him. Adam sighed.

"Can I take a real call first?" He requested. "The only one I've had so far was Leo."

"Leo called the emergency line?" I glanced at Chase to see him frowning in concern.

"Yeah, something about a helicopter hanging off the side of a building. Blah, blah-blah, blah-blah." Adam replied, not really that interested as he answered another call. "Hello, this is Adam. How can I help you?"

"He must really be in trouble." Chase realized. "Let's go!"

"I'll be right there. I'm dealing with an emergency too." Adam sounded offended that Chase would insist on going. Chase sighed, walking off to find Bree, as Adam finished the call. "I am so sorry your flight was cancelled, m'am. Now, do you mind if we reroute you through Salt Lake City?"

** Leo's POV **

I hung on to that helicopter for what felt like hours, with no idea of how I could fix this. I had no backup, I had no plan, and my arm was getting really, really tired from gripping the edge of the helicopter for so long.

Suddenly, the door behind me burst open. "HELP!" I screamed, trying to twist around to see who it was. Once I realized that it was Adam, Bree, Calla, Chase, and Jaden, I sighed in relief. Thank God. "Help!"

"Adam, you get Leo! I'll stabilize the helicopter." Chase ordered. Adam pulled me down to the ground slowly as Chase used his telekinesis to keep the helicopter from going over. The second my feet touched the ground and I was sure that Chase could keep the helicopter steady, I released my grip, allowing Adam to pull me over to safety.

"Calla, Bree, Jaden, you guys get the passengers." The others pushed past us, quickly helping the helicopter passengers to safety. Bree did most of the work, super-speeding many of them to where we were standing, but Calla and Jaden managed to get a few out themselves.

"I think that's all of them." Bree stated as she and Jaden got the last passenger over to us. Meanwhile, Chase was struggling to keep the helicopter steady, his grip loosening with every second. Even from here, I could see his arms shaking with the exertion. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer; the helicopter was just too heavy. Bree didn't seem to notice, however. "Let me make sure no one's left in there."

"Bree, don't-" Chase was forced to let go of the helicopter, stumbling back a step as he tried to stop Bree. But it was too late. She sped forward towards the helicopter, then tried to speed away. Her escape was cut short, though, when her sleeve got caught in one of the seatbelts.

"Help!" She cried, glancing at us as she pulled desperately as the seat belt. "My suit is stuck!"

"Bree!" Jaden shouted, running forward as the helicopter tipped off the edge, pulling Bree over with it. I sped ahead of him, having always been a pretty fast sprinter, and grabbed her hand.

I heard her cry out a little as the helicopter ripped her sleeve, but that was the only damage done. Bree's arm was free and she watched in horror as the helicopter fell. Jaden suddenly appeared next to me, reaching for Bree's other arm, and together we pulled her back onto the roof.

"Are you okay?" Jaden demanded, grabbing her by the shoulders. She nodded and looked at me.

"Yeah, thanks." She told me. I smiled back at her.

"Yeah, nice work Leo." Adam patted me on the shoulder.

"Wait, what about the helicopter?" Chase asked. We rushed back to the edge just in time to see the helicopter crashing into the ground below, causing a fiery explosion. Thankfully, the street was still empty, so no one was hurt.

"Yeah, that's never going to fly again." Adam stated the obvious. Chase chuckled and looked at us.

"Great work guys." He complimented.

"Yeah, especially you Leo." Bree added. "I owe you one."

"Yeah, well I am a hero." I pointed out.

"Don't push your luck." Bree warned me. I decided to take her advice.

"You're welcome." I quickly replied. Suddenly, Calla let out a surprised gasp.

"No way." She murmured. She gestured at what looked like a camera crew across the street. "I think the whole world's going to know your name now. That news crew filmed the entire thing."

I sighed, and even though I waved at the cameras, I still wasn't pleased. "Who cares?"

"Who cares?" Jaden repeated. "All you've wanted this entire time was for people to know your name."

"Yeah, well…I did some thinking when I was on hold for twenty minutes." I admitted. "We don't go on missions for the fame, we go to save lives."

"Um Leo?" Chase raised an eyebrow at me. "You do realize that you're standing in front of a forty-foot billboard with your face on it, right?"

I turned around to see the massive billboard with my image and our number on it. "Oh. They told me that wouldn't be ready for another two weeks." Despite what I'd just said, I was pleasantly surprised by the billboard.

** Kieran's POV **

"So, after hearing about what you guys went through, I finally figured out what I should invent." Douglas told us. A few hours after the helicopter mission, Douglas had called Leo, Spin, Rio, Bob and I into the main room to see his invention.

"Is it a layer of clothing that acts as a barrier between you and your pants?" Bob asked. We all looked at each other. Maybe hanging out with Adam wasn't such a good idea for Bob.

"They have that Bob." I pointed out. Spin stared at him.

"And why don't you know about it?" He demanded. Bob ignored him, subtly adjusting his pants.

"I took the lie detector chair technology," Douglas continued, "and integrated it with the mission alert system. Now, it will analyse the caller's vocal patterns and determine if it's a real emergency."

"This is great Douglas." Leo nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Big D's going to be really impressed."

"Well…" Douglas glanced at us, smirking slightly. "These guys helped."

"Really?" Leo sounded sceptical.

"Well, Bob had tons of great ideas." I agreed, siding with Douglas. "You should listen to every single one of them."

Leo shot me a look, clearly realizing that this was our way of getting back at him for making us answer all those stupid calls yesterday.

"Bob, why don't you start telling him them?" Rio pushed Bob out in front as Douglas made his escape.

"Get this." Bob grinned excitedly. "It's a machine that sucks up all the dirt on the floor."

"You mean a vacuum cleaner?" Leo asked. Bob grinned wider.

"Yes! That's the perfect name for it!" He exclaimed.

"Enjoy the next six hours Leo." Spin told our friend as we all walked away.


	10. Aftershock

**Rio's POV**

I stepped into the cafeteria, smiling. It was early morning, the birds outside just beginning to sing, and I was feeling good. I'd always been a morning person and had always appreciated the start of a new day.

One look at the people in the cafeteria told me that I was the only one who felt this way.

All the mentors were up, just like they were supposed to be, but none of them seemed truly awake. Chase was blearily pressing buttons on his tablet's screen, not really paying attention to what he was doing while Calla sat beside him, her head rest on her hand as she picked at her cereal. Bree was sipping at an espresso, but judging from her expression, it wasn't doing very much to wake her up. As for Adam, he appeared to be fast asleep at the table, his arms folded under his head like a pillow.

As for the students, neither Leo nor Kieran could be seen. I knew my twin was still asleep in his capsule – I'd tried to wake him up on my way out, but he was adamant to stay in dreamland – and knowing Leo, he was likely still passes out on Adam, Bree, and Chase's couch. Spin and Bob were both up, the former picking at his toast while the latter attempted to make a tower out of silverware. Well, at least Bob was wide awake. If the others were too out of it to have a decent conversation with, he was always good for a laugh.

"Good morning." I greeted cheerfully, taking the empty seat between Adam and Chase. Chase hummed in response, greeting me without looking away from his tablet's screen, but Adam didn't so much as budge. I smiled, then shook his shoulder gently. He raised his head drowsily, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Huh?" I laughed lightly at the confusion on his face.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." I ran my hand through his hair as he settled his head back on his arms. "Have a nice nap?"

He turned his head just enough to look at me without have to raise it. "Yep." He yawned tiredly. "Morning Rio."

"Morning Adam." I shook my head, smiling, before looking at the others. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Classes." Was Chase's automatic response.

"Food." Adam moaned.

"Sleep." Calla grumbled, stifling a yawn. I sighed.

"You guys really need to become morning people." I commented, grabbing the box of Cheerios from the middle of the table.

"And you need to become less of a morning person." Calla retorted. "Seriously Rio, who's this cheerful in the morning?"

"I am." I replied calmly, filling my bowl with cereal. "But seriously, what are we doing today?"

Before anyone could respond, a loud alarm went off, effectively waking everyone up. "Going on a mission, apparently." Jaden commented, stepping out of the kitchen with a plate of bacon in his hand. He placed it next to Bree's plate as she got up. "You guys need help?"

"Let's find out what the mission is first." Chase replied. He and Calla were already running to the main room, the rest of us hot on their heels. Even though the chances of us actually going on the mission were one in a million, maybe we could help from the control room. Calla had invited us to help her there the last few missions and I felt that we were getting rather good at it, especially Spin and I.

"Sir, what's the mission?" Chase demanded as we burst into the mission room. There was really no need to ask though – Leo, Kieran, and Mr. Davenport were already in here, the footage up on the screen.

It was an earthquake, a pretty massive one by the looks of it. Buildings were cracked, some destroyed and some even dipping into the ground. Fires burst out across the town and I could see several emergency vehicles trying to maneuver around the broken and crowded streets. I'd seen the effects of earthquakes online, but this was damage on a major scale.

"That looks bad." I commented, looking at the mentors. I knew immediately that there was more than meets the eye. Their eyes were glued to the screen, recognition and horror masking their faces. "Guys?"

"That's not…" Bree looked at Mr. Davenport. "That looks like Mission Creek."

"It is." Mr. Davenport confirmed. "This footage is about ten minutes old. It ranked at a 7.1 on the Richter scale."

"7.1." Chase echoed. That did not sound good. "Damn. Have you called-"

"Tasha's fine. It was the first thing I did." Mr. Davenport assured him. He glanced at Calla and Jaden. "I tried your mom too. She didn't pick up, but I wouldn't be surprise if she's just busy trying to help people."

"We'll leave right away." Adam told Mr. Davenport, his tone serious.

"Wait." Spin stopped him. "That's a lot of damage. You guys can't handle it all on your own."

"You're not coming, Spin." Chase told him. I looked at him, then at Mr. Davenport.

"Sir, Spin has a point. I mean, even if Calla and Jaden join them, it's still going to be just the six of them trying to do everything at once. A few extra hands couldn't hurt." I insisted. Mr. Davenport shook his head.

"Your training isn't-" He began, only for Kieran to cut him off.

"You let Adam, Bree, and Chase go to school before their training was complete. You also let them go on missions before it was complete." He pointed out. "Look, it's not like we're facing bad guys. We're just going to be pulling people out of collapsed buildings. There's hardly any danger for us."

"There could be aftershocks." Mr. Davenport pointed out. "An earthquake this powerful, I wouldn't be surprised if we had a few stronger than a 6 on the Richter scale."

"We'll be fine." Bob insisted. "We just want to help. I mean, it is your hometown."

Mr. Davenport sighed, then looked at Chase. "It's your mission. You make the decision." He told the genius. We all looked at Chase, being sure to give him puppy-dog eyes. He looked at us, then sighed.

"Alright, fine. But not everyone." He added. He looked at the other mentors. "Everyone gets one student to take with them. Mentors only. Sorry Leo and Jaden. Students and mentors work together, don't separate. And mentors are still in charge, so if you're told to go back to the hydroloop for whatever reason, you do it. Got it?"

"You're the boss." We all agreed. I looked at Adam.

"So, you and me?" I was surprised by his hesitation.

"It could be dangerous, Rio." He warned. I rolled my eyes.

"I know, but I want to help." I insisted. He nodded.

"Well, in that case, welcome aboard!" He replied. I grinned, then looked at the others. "Who are you guys taking?"

"Well, I'm going with my lady." Bob grabbed Bree's arm. She pulled away, glaring at him.

"I'm only taking you because there's a chance I could get away with leaving you behind." She retorted.

"Kieran, you want to come?" Calla looked at my twin. He nodded.

"Let's do this."

"Spin, you're with me." Chase sighed, clearly not liking his choice. But if he didn't pick Spin, we all knew that we wouldn't stop hearing about it for a few months at least. "Alright, suit up, and let's go."

**Kieran's POV**

So, when Chase said 'suit up' he was really talking to the mentors. They all got to wear their mission suits (and in Jaden's case, a leather jacket with the Davenport Industries logo on it) while the most we did was change into jeans and long-sleeved black shirts. At least it was better than those Academy uniforms.

I sat in the hydroloop next to Calla, waiting for Adam and Chase to finish packing all the material. If you ignored the way Calla and Jaden kept glancing at their phones, hoping their mom would call, it almost seemed calm and normal in the hydroloop. For a minute, I thought I was the only one nervous about the mission.

 _Kieran?_  Then Rio's voice popped up into my head. I glanced at my sister to see her fidgeting nervously with the sleeve of her shirt.

 _Yes Rio?_  I could hear the hesitation in her voice, almost like when she first met Adam and was a bit nervous to talk to him.

 _I'm nervous. Do you think this will really go as smoothly as we claimed?_  She asked. I smiled inwardly.

 _Of course it will. We've seen Adam, Bree, Calla, Chase, and Leo come back from hundreds of missions. Even Calla, who's human, has never come back with more than a sprained ankle._  I reminded her.

 _That's true._  Rio agreed quietly.  _Yeah, you're right. It'll be fine._

 _Hey sis? Just one question._  I asked before she could get distracted _. Why are we using our telepathy? We're two feet away from each other._

 _I didn't want the others to think I'm scared or anything._  Rio admitted. I smirked.

 _You mean, you wanted Adam to be impressed with your bravery._  I commented. She glanced up as her boyfriend sat down beside her, then looked at back at me.

 _…Shut up._  She grumbled. I chuckled at that, earning a weird look from those who weren't aware of the silent conversation going on between me and my twin sister.

"What's so funny?" Calla hissed, confused. I smirked, looking at Rio out of the corner of my eye.

"Nothing." I replied as Chase climbed in and activated the hydroloop. As the hydroloop car began to move, he looked at us.

"Alright, here's the plan." He began, handing us each a comm set. "Jaden, you and Leo are going to go the police station and find out where they're placing fireman, ambulances, and cop cars. We're going to need to coordinate. Calla and Kieran, I want you to check out the elementary school, then the high school. There may be students still inside. Adam and Rio, I want you guys to help dig through the rubble. Bree and Bob, you guys are in charge of roads. Help people out of their cars, get them to hospitals. Spin and I will check out some of the more damaged areas."

"Got it." Bree nodded. Calla looked at her brother.

"Call me when you find Mom." She instructed. He nodded.

"I'm sure she's fine, Cee-Cee." He assured her. She gave him a look. "But I will call you."

"Good." The hydroloop began to slow. She looked at us. "Keep your comm sets on at all times, and if you're in trouble, do not hesitate to call for help."

"Same goes for you." Chase gave her a look that was a mixture of sternness and concern. I knew he didn't like her going on missions, especially since she wasn't bionic, but I think that he hated her giving orders on his missions even more. The prideful idiot had to be in control twenty-four seven.

"I'm aware of that, Chase." Calla replied, glaring at him just as the hydroloop came to a stop. She was on her feet the second the doors opened. "You coming, K-Dog?"

She didn't wait for my answer, instead striding out of the hydroloop with a bag slung over her shoulder. I got up to follow her, but Chase stopped me by grabbing my arm. "Hey, uh…" He looked to make sure Calla wasn't in earshot. "Would you mind…"

"Keeping an eye on her, keeping her out of trouble, and make sure she doesn't do something stupid?" I guessed, looking at the expression in his face. He gave me a sheepish grin and nodded. "I'll try, but you know how she gets. When she's focused on doing something, there's no stopping her."

"Yeah, I know." Chase agreed, fondness in his voice. He nodded to the others as they filed out of the hydroloop, heading to their designated areas. "Thanks."

"No problem." I replied before chasing after Calla.

**Xxx**

"Okay, the elementary school is clear." I heard Calla tell Chase over the comm set as I handed a squirming kindergartener off to his waiting mother. "We're heading over to the high school next."

" _Good. Nice work."_  Chase replied.  _"Head back to the police station when you're done. It's pretty much the only government official building that hasn't been affected by the earthquake."_

"Got it." I agreed. Calla nodded, then appeared to remember something.

"Wait, Jaden?" She called. "What about Mom?"

" _She's fine. Busy, but alright. But she did want me to mention that the quake may have knocked some things down in your room. That snow globe you kept on that shelf above your bed shattered."_  The older of the two replied.

"Damn. Glad I wasn't sleeping in that bed this morning." She was smiling though, obviously relieved that her mother was okay. "Alright, tell Mom I said hey."

"Considering that it only took us about twenty minutes to go through the elementary school, we should be back at the station in no time." I told them.

" _We'll see you soon, then."_  Jaden replied before cutting off the connection. Calla looked at me.

"Back to school then?" She teased, already heading towards our old high school.

"Hey, at least there's no Perry." I commented. She smirked.

"You make a good point." She agreed. "The last time there was a fire drill, I'm pretty sure she yelled something along the lines of "Out of my way, mouth-breathers!" and pushed the vice-principal to the ground in her attempt to escape."

I chuckled, glancing at the ground every so often as I tried not to trip on cracks in the ground. The high school came into view a second later, and I was relieved to see that it was still intact. Though I never really liked the place, I had friends that went to school there, and a number of them would have been at the school during the earthquake. The only real damage I could see was done to the metal bar holding an American flag in the wind. The metal bar was bent so badly I was surprised that it didn't fall there and then. Any sort of disruption to it would see it falling the ground. We couldn't deal with it now, but I hoped to God that no one was below it when it did fall. "I doubt anyone got hurt in there." I commented. Calla nodded.

"Probably nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises, but we still need to check." She replied, heading down the path. When we got to the door, we were met by Ms. Reichs, the school's chemistry teacher.

"Miss Parker, finally. We were wondering when you and your bionic friends would show up." The woman greeted. Calla nodded.

"Right. You remember Kieran." Calla gestured at me. I nodded in greeting. "Is anyone hurt? How many students are inside?"

"About 10 of us total, and most of us have avoided serious injury. There is, however, one student with a badly broken ankle. And with the ambulances unable to reach us because of the state the roads are in…" Ms Reichs broke off, but Calla had already come up with a plan.

"Alright, I know first aid. I'm no doctor, but I can set the bone properly enough for us to move them." She decided. She looked at me. "Gonna need your help."

"Let's go." We headed into the school, but before we could get farther than the entrance, I detected a low rumbling in the air. "Calla?"

She frowned at me, but soon heard the sound and felt the beginning of a tremor. "Aftershock." She whispered, looking at me with wide eyes. I braced myself against the wall beside Calla, hoping that it wouldn't be too bad of an aftershock. Their destruction could range from non-existent to massive. Suddenly, there was a loud groaning noise coming from above us. We both looked up just in time to see the ceiling collapse.

**Rio's POV**

"AFTERSHOCK!" The second I felt the tremors, I shouted at the top of my lungs, getting everyone's attention. The world began to shake violently, so violently that I couldn't keep my balance. I fell to my knees, bracing my hands against the asphalt ground as the ground continued to rip itself apart. In the distance, I could see buildings crumble under the stress and I wondered just how strong this aftershock was.

The shaking lasted almost ten full minutes. I stayed on the ground for a minute or two after it stopped, not wanting to be caught off guard if it began again. "Rio?" I heard Adam call a minute later. He was standing nearby, helping an older lady up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm not hurt or anything." Just a little shaken up, I wanted to add. But I figured it would be a little too cheesy.

Our comm sets came to life a moment later.  _"Guys, it's Leo. Is everyone alright?"_

" _Spin and I are fine."_  Chase was the first to respond. _"We've got a few civilians who are a little freaked out, but that's about it."_

" _Bob and I nearly got stuck in a bit of a landslide downtown, but we're okay."_  Bree replied.  _"The landslide wasn't that bad either. Only went down a few feet and no one was caught in it."_

"Leo, are you and Jaden alright?" I asked, activating my comm set. "That didn't damage the police station, did it?"

" _No, it's still standing."_  The shorter boy assured us.  _"And we're all fine. You and Adam?"_

"Unhurt and still standing." I told him. We waited a moment, but there was radio silence. "Kieran? Calla? Are you guys alright?"

Silence.

" _Calla?"_  Chase demanded.  _"This isn't funny."_

Again, we got nothing in response. Kieran Daniels, you'd better be alright! I exclaimed, trying to reach my twin telepathically. I heard nothing for several beats, then…

 _Ow. Rio…ow…stop…head…hurts…_  His response was quiet, but loud enough for me to hear.

"Kieran's hurt. No idea about Calla." I informed the others before contacting Kieran again.

" _They're at the high school. Or at least that's where Calla told me they were heading."_ Chase told us, is voice full of worry.  _"I'm heading there now."_

"We'll meet you there." I had already grabbed Adam's hand and was leading him towards the school. "We're only a few blocks away."

**Xxx**

"Chase, Calla!" I shouted upon seeing the two of them. Calla seemed mostly uninjured, if you didn't count the slowly drying blood stretching from her ear to the bottom of her neck. Chase was looking it over, while her arms were crossed and her foot tapping impatiently.

"…okay! But Kieran…" She broke off, shaking her head as she tried to get Chase to stop fussing over her.

"What about him?" I demanded, running up. I glanced at the blood. "And are you alright?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Piece of plywood from the ceiling caught me on the way down, but it looks much worse than it is. Comm set's broken though." She assured us.

"Are you sure?" Adam confirmed.

"Yes. I'm fine." She added a little forcefully, glancing at Chase. Though she acted like he was annoying her, I could see by the look in her eyes that she appreciated his worry.

"What about Kieran?" I demanded. She shook her head before gesturing at the school.

"He's inside." She told me. I looked over the school, dread filling me head to toe. The front of the school was a mess, the ceiling and roof having both collapsed during the aftershock. The only other person around was an older lady, a teacher if I'd have to guess. "I'm not sure if he's okay, or…"

"He's hurt, but conscious." I assured her. She looked at me, but I explained before she could ask. "Twin telepathy, remember?"

"Right." She nodded, then looked at Adam. "You think you can move this?"

"Not without risking more of the roof collapsing." He shook his head. "Chase, any ideas?"

"I've got one." I interjected. Chase looked at me.

"Go on." He said warily.

"Well, I've got my intangibility ability, remember? I can just walk in there and make sure he's okay. Maybe help a few of the students out." I told them.

"Yeah, but you can't bring anyone with you. Remember all the times you tried with Adam?" Calla reminded me. I nodded.

"I know, but at least I have a working comm set. And if Kieran's hurt, you're going to need another bionic hero in there, right?" I asked. They all looked hesitant to agree. "He's my brother."

"Fine." Chase nodded. "But if we contact you, you answer right away. No matter how badly the timing is."

"Got it." I didn't wait for further instructions before walking into the school, straight through at hundred tons of rubble.

**Kieran's POV**

"…ear me, Kieran? Kieran, please wake up." I groaned as sound started to filter through the pleasant darkness surrounding me. I blinked open my eyes, wincing at the harsh light in front of me.

"Rio, flashlight, away." I groaned, raising one hand to block the light. The flashlight disappeared a moment later, replaced by my twin's concerned eyes.

"Kieran? Are you awake now?" She asked uncertainly.

"What does it look-" I tried to sit up, only to feel a stab of pain explode in my knee. "Ah!"

"Kieran?" Rio's eyes flew open wide. I groaned, reaching for my knee.

"Yep, definitely awake now." One look told me that I must have hit my leg during the ceiling collapse. My knee was swollen to twice its normal size and was now spotted black, blue, and green. "Think it's broken?"

"Too swollen to tell." Rio patted my good leg sympathetically. "Do you think you can stand? And how'd your head?"

I shook my head. "I don't think I can put weight on it just yet." I replied. "And my head hurts, like a lot."

Rio frowned before looking me over. "I don't think you're bleeding, but you should stay put just in case you've got a concussion."

"Good idea." I agreed, looking up at the sound of footsteps. Two girls walked towards us, confusion and concern on their faces. One was a tall Caucasian blonde, the other a short African American with curly black hair. It took me a minute to recognize them, but I groaned in frustration when I did.

"Kieran?" Rio looked at me, concerned. I ignored her and looked at the two girls.

"What are you two doing here?" I demanded. Jessica shrugged and looked around.

"We got to school early for drama practice, then got caught inside during the earthquake. Ms. Reichs said that help was on the way." She replied. I glanced at Rio.

"Oh crap. Have you seen Calla or Ms. Reichs?" I demanded, once again trying to sit up. This time, I managed to lean back on my hands and stay upright, if not on my feet. Rio nodded.

"They're outside, they're fine." She assured me. She stood up to face the girls. "Hi, I'm Rio. I'm one of the bionic superhumans that Mr. Davenport sent to help with the situation."

"Rio, huh?" Jessica smiled. "I'm Jess. This is Rebeccka."

"Nice to meet you." Rio nodded. "How many people are inside?"

"Just us, five more drama students, and three of the school's soccer players. One of them's got a busted ankle." Rebeccka replied. Rio nodded.

"Alright. Um…" She looked at me, not sure if it was alright to leave me alone. Before I could tell her that it was alright and that she should finish the mission, Rebeccka spoke up.

"I'll stay with him, if you want." She offered. I looked at Rio, eyes wide. Calla and the others had told me about Rebeccka, although we'd never really met. They said she was crazy, that she was a lunatic. And if she was as messed up as they said, I didn't want to be left alone with her.

Of course, my sister knew none of this. "Alright, thanks." She smiled at Rebeccka before turning to Jessica. "Let's go."

And with that, Rio left me alone with who my best friend called 'the craziest crazy that's ever gone crazy'.

**Rio's POV**

"So you're a bionic superhuman?" Jess asked as she led me down the hall towards her fellow students. I nodded in response, keeping my eyes open for students she may have missed. "Like Adam?"

"You're friends with Adam?" I glanced at her briefly before looking back down the hall. The earthquake must have hit a power line or something as there was no light in the building. Not even the generators seemed to be working.

"Uh, well…" Jess hesitated. "We were, but it's complicated."

I frowned. "Complicated?" I repeated, confused.

"Yeah, well we went out for a while." She explained. I stopped for a moment, but then carried on, hoping that Jess wouldn't notice. So this was Jessica. Adam's ex girlfriend. The pretty blond.

"You did?" Was it just me, or had my voice raised an octave? If it did, Jess certainly didn't notice.

"Yeah. But then, we ended things. Been a while since I've seen him." She replied. "But I heard that he's fallen for some brunette bionic girl."

"Hmm." I hummed. "Where'd you hear that from?"

"Rebeccka mentioned it accidently. Apparently, she keeps in contact with the gang and he wouldn't stop talking about her." I bit my lip, trying to hide my smile. Adam told him friends about me?

"So…" I turned down another hall, my flashlight aimed at the ceiling. I didn't want it collapsing on us too. "Why'd you break up with him?"

"Like I said, complicated." Jess replied. I nodded, not sure if I really wanted to know. "But if you really want to know, he lied to me."

"He did?" Adam lie? Please, that boy was too honest for his own good.

"Yeah, about the whole bionic thing. I'd been dating him for almost 8 months by time the world found out, and he'd never even hinted that there was more to him than meets-the-eye."

"I'm sure he had his reasons. Maybe he was worried about putting you in danger." I didn't want to think badly of Adam, and seeing how he was with Bree and Calla, I knew he could be more protective than Chase at times.

"Calla Parker and her bother Jaden found out before they started dating him." Jess pointed out. "And they had no problem putting them in danger."

"Yeah, and look how that turned out." I commented dryly. It was common knowledge that being involved with the Davenport sibling meant putting up with a lot of dangerous situations.

"Yeah, well, I hope that new girl is happy with him." Jess sighed. "I mean, aside from the lies and secrets, he's a good guy. I just couldn't trust him anymore. Maybe she can trust him more."

"Maybe." I nodded thoughtfully. We were quiet for a little longer, and then Jess spoke up.

"Here we are." She pushed open the library doors to reveal the other eight students.

**Kieran's POV**

"So…" Rebeccka trailed off, obviously bored.

"So…" I mimicked her, unsure of what else to say. Rebeccka was sitting opposite of me, looking pretty impatient.

"So…" She began again. "How's it going?"

I gave her a look. "How's it going?" I repeated incredulously. She shrugged.

"Hey, I don't know what else to talk about." She shrugged. I raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "So…"

"If you ask me 'how's the weather' I'm going to go crawl off into a corner to die or something." I told her. She laughed lightly.

"Alright, fine. No weather questions." She promised. She glanced at the phone in her hands. "Hey, what type of music do you listen to?"

"Seriously?" I looked at her. Rebeccka merely shrugged in response. "Alright, fine. I'm a big fan of My Chemical Romance." Rebeccka stared at me. "Don't judge, they're good."

"I know." She smiled. "I have their entire Black Parade album."

"You like My Chemical Romance?" I questioned. She nodded. "Wow, I just didn't think that rock was your thing."

"I love rock music. Hate country though." Her nose wrinkled up in disgust.

"Yeah, Rio listens to that junk and I can't stand it." I agreed. "Hillbillies, the lot of them."

"I know, right?" She laughed lightly. There was another moment of silence, then, "How's your leg?"

I shifted it slightly, hissing at the pain coursing through it. "Still hurts a lot, but not quite as bad as before."

"That's good." Rebeccka nodded. "And your head?"

"Better." In all honesty, I probably had a concussion, if the headache my occasionally blurry vision were anything to go by. Rebeccka nodded, probably not believing me, but having the sense not to push.

"So…" She started again, grinning slightly when she saw the look on my face. "So what's it like living on Bionic Island? Calla says it's cool, but she has Chase, so I'm inclined to believe he's the main reason she says that."

I chuckled. "Oh, I would believe that. The number of times we've nearly destroyed the island is absurd."

"You've only been there a few months!" Rebeccka exclaimed, surprised. I chuckled. "How'd you manage to do that?"

"Trust me, you do not want to know." I waved off her questioned. She looked at me.

"Oh yes, I kinda do." She insisted. So I told her about how Leo nearly brought the island down, how Sebastian tried to take over…I even told her about the bionic dog. I told her all about the school because while most people would have been freaked out, Rebeccka seemed entertained and interested in my stories, asking questions occasionally. They made her smile, and to my genuine surprise, I really wanted to see her smile.

"Wow…" She commented when I was done. "And I thought I was crazy."

"Yeah, well…guess you're not the only one." I replied. She frowned.

"So, wait." She stopped me. "You've never been on a real date? Ever?"

"Well I was a soldier, remember?" I reminded her. Rebeccka nodded.

"Yeah, but dating's like…it's like a rite of passage. The most important rite of passage, right behind getting your driver's license and having your first legal drink!" She insisted.

"Have you had illegal drinks?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. She smirked deviously.

"I'm choosing not to answer that…mainly because we're best friends with the chief of police's children." She replied. I chuckled.

"Good point." Suddenly, I heard footsteps come from down the hall. Rio and Jessica walked back in, the two of them supporting a young man with a broken ankle. More students followed them, all looking a little worse for wear, but not seriously injured. I glanced at Rebeccka. "Help me up?"

"Sure." She grabbed me by the arm, letting me drape it around her shoulder. I winced at the pressure on my knee, but it seemed to have numbed a bit, the swelling just starting to go down. Rio looked at me.

"Are you alright?" She asked. I nodded.

"I'll be fine. You?" I glanced at Jessica meaningfully. I knew that she'd dated Adam before and wasn't sure if Jessica was aware of Rio being the new girl in Adam's life. If she did, I wasn't sure how the blonde would react.

But Rio just shrugged. "Yeah, I'm good." She flashed me a smile to let me know that she meant it, then looked at Jessica. She understood and took the rest of the guy's weight from Rio while she activated her comm set.

"Chase, hey. Yeah, I've got the students, and Kieran." She paused, then glanced at me. "Head injury – seemingly minor – and his knees pretty swollen. I doubt it's broken though."

"What's the plan to get us out of here?" I asked, adjusting my grip on Rebeccka so that I wasn't clutching her shirt so hard. She didn't seem to mind though, shifting along with me to help.

"Uh-huh? Yeah, okay. Let's see." Rio lowered her hand from her comm set, then looked at us. "Everyone away from the wall of rubble. Behind the stairwell. Go."

"What's going on, Rio?" I demanded, hobbling behind the stairwell alongside Rebeccka, my sister, Jessica, and the rest of the students. My twin grinned.

"Watch." She replied. She hit her comm set. "Alright. Light 'em up!"

Suddenly, the smell of smoke filled the air. Light filtered in through cracks in the wall, and for a brief moment, I could see the distinct flash of red. I glanced at Rio, understanding instantly. "Heat vision!"

"Obviously." Rio smirked, watching as Adam cut a clean hole in the rubble, the perfect size of a doorway.

"Hey, you guys alright in there?" My sister's boyfriend called.

"Yeah, we're good!" Rio began to lead the students out of the school, slowly to make sure no one tripped. I looked at Rebeccka.

"We should go." I told her. She nodded.

"One thing first." She stopped me. I frowned, but she pulled a pen out from her purse and wrote something down on the back of my hand that was still wrapped around her shoulder.

"What's that?" I asked, unable to see what she was writing. She smirked.

"Well, if you'd like to try that first date sometime, you've got a volunteer." She told me. "So you'd better call, because the offer won't last forever."

**Rio's POV**

"So, everyone's alright?" Adam asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah, looks like the only injuries were those caught in the aftershock and the kid with the broken ankle." I replied, gesturing at the boy. I think his name was Jeremy or something. Adam nodded, looking past me. I didn't have to turn around to see who he was looking at. "Jessica's okay too, Adam."

"Yeah…" He looked at me, a little guilt on his face. I rolled my eyes, smiling.

"Hey, it's perfectly normal to be concerned for her. I'm not jealous or anything." I assured him. He let out a sigh of relief. "Yet."

"Rio!" He groaned. I laughed before glancing back at the school. There were only a few students still inside – a boy from drama, Jessica, Rebeccka and Kieran. The last two seemed to be having a very important discussion. At least, I thought so. Judging by the surprised look on my twin's face, Rebeccka had asked him out. God, Kieran was such a stud when it came to us girls.

"Hey, did you hear that?" Chase said suddenly. I frowned, but the sound soon hit my bionic ears. Although not at the strength of Chase's, my hearing was well beyond the average human's and I soon recognized the sound of something groaning.

Then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. My quick eyes rose to the flag pole above the school. I saw the worn and already cracked metal finally break and I saw as it began to descend to the ground. Right where a certain student was standing.

"Jessica!" I shouted, rushing forward. I could remember knocking her to the ground a foot away from me. And I could remember hearing people shouting – Adam and Kieran, I thought. And I could remember pain erupting in my brain…then nothing.

**Xxx**

**Adam's POV**

"Hey." I started at the sound of someone's voice, having gotten used to the silence of the hospital room. I looked up to see Calla standing next to my chair, two cups of coffee in her hands. She held a cup out to me. "Thought you could use this."

"Thanks." I took the cup from her, but didn't really take a drink or do anything else. She was quiet for a moment, then she spoke up again.

"Any change?" She asked softly. I didn't answer right away, instead looking at Rio's still form.

It had been seven days since she'd been injured by that flag pole. Seven days since I'd carried her in here. Seven days since I'd last seen her eyes open.

Her skin was still too pale, except for the dark bruises that hung under her eyes. Her chest rose and fell so slowly and shallowly that it appeared to be hardly moving at all. There was a thin tube hanging over her ears and under her nose and more tubes running from IV bags into her arms. She was too still and she was attached to more machines than I could name.

"A little, I think." I shrugged, having no real idea. The doctors tried to explain, but they always used such complicated words. I had asked Calla and Chase to explain most of it so far, but was still a little confused.

"Well, they moved her from a ventilator to an oxygen cannula. That's a good sign." Calla commented. I nodded, then sighed.

"If she's doing better, why hasn't she woken up yet?" I asked, ignoring the miserable note in my voice. Calla gave me a sympathetic look.

"Head injuries are complicated, Adam. Sometimes, people just…take longer to heal from them." She told me. "Give her time – I'm sure Rio will be up and at 'em in no time. You'll see."

I nodded. "Thanks Calla." She nodded, smiling at me softly. Then I frowned. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Did you want me to leave?" She asked softly, not sounding offended. I had the feeling that if I said 'yes', she would walk away and leave me be without an argument.

"No, I…I mean, shouldn't you be working? Helping out?" I was confused. For the past five days, everyone else had been helping out around the town, whether with rescue or cleaning up. I'd seen very little of the guys for the past few days, the only times being whenever they came to check in. Kieran was the most frequent visitor – both because his knee put him out of action and because Rio was his twin sister – but everyone else was in here once, if not twice, a day.

"Actually, we're about done." Calla responded. "Mr. Davenport's sending us home – that's what I came here to tell you."

"And Rio? What about her?" I asked. She sighed.

"The doctors here are more prepared to deal with her condition than we are at the island, so she's remaining put for the meantime." Calla replied. I nodded.

"Then I'm staying too." I couldn't leave her, not right now. Calla nodded, understanding and compassion on her face.

"Didn't think so. Mr. Davenport said he's cool with you staying in Mission Creek so long as you go back to Tasha's overnight." She told me. I started to protest, but she cut me off. "You need sleep, Adam. And in a capsule or a bed, not a plastic chair."

"Fine." They wouldn't even know if I came back. How could they, if they were back at the island. "What about you guys? You're not going to stay with your mom or Tasha?"

"We're going to the island." Calla sounded regretful. "We have to – there are the other students to think about. But don't you dare think we won't be popping in and out of here every chance we can."

Knowing the guys, that meant they'd be visiting between lessons and between meals. "Okay."

"Kieran's staying too, just so you know. Mom said he could crash in Jaden's old room." Calla continued. I frowned, then looked at her.

"I thought his knee was just a bad sprain. That he'll only be on crutches for a couple of weeks, then he just needs to be careful with his knee for a while." Calla nodded, quick to reassure me.

"He's fine. He just doesn't feel comfortable about leaving her alone with 'human' doctors." She snorted. "I thought that by now, they'd get used to us humans. I mean, we're not all total jerks."

"Yeah, I know." The bionic VS humans debate would never end. Calla patted my shoulder.

"I'll see you later, alright? And if there's any change, any at all, you call us, okay? We all want to be kept updated."

"Alright, will do." I smiled at her and watched her leave before turning back to Rio and taking a long drink of the coffee. It was obviously the hospital's stuff – it tasted like dirt and scalded my throat – but Calla meant well when she brought it.

I sighed before looking back at my girlfriend. God, why couldn't she just wake up? Why did it have to be her that was injured? Why not someone else? Why not me? I was there, I could have pushed Jessica out of the way. I should have too.

**Kieran's POV**

"Hey, thanks for letting me stay at your place while Rio's in the hospital." I leaned back on Jaden's bed, my cell phone pressed to my ear.

" _No problem, man. Mi casa es su casa."_ Jaden replied. Judging by the time of day and the sound of something hissing in the background, I guessed he was in the kitchen, talking to me as he made dinner for the other students.  _"Just rest up and try not to worry too much about Rio. She'll be okay."_

"I don't know, man. I mean, you know how serious head injuries can be. And she's my sister. It's my job to-"

" _-to protect her. I get it."_  Jaden finished for me. I frowned.

"You do?" I knew he and Calla were close, closer than most siblings, but still. I couldn't imagine something like this happening to her.

" _When you get back, remind me to tell you about how when Calla was five, she jumped off the roof because she thought she was Wonder Woman and could fly."_  Jaden chuckled softly.  _"But yeah, I get it. The main purpose of the big, or in this case twin, brother is to protect the little sister. But you can't freak out. Rio's tough as nails, and the doctors already said that she's doing much better."_

"Yeah, but they also said that they can't tell how much damage was truly done until she wakes up. If she wakes up." I argued weakly.

" _She will wake up."_  Jaden assured me.  _"Alright?"_

I sighed. "Yeah, alright."

" _Good."_ Jaden sounded pleased.  _"Now, as much as I'd love to continuing talking, I've got fries to…well, fry."_  I chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll talk to you guys later. Bye." I hung up, then played with the phone in my lap. Rio was still in the hospital, Adam probably still sitting with her, so I didn't have to worry about her being alone. I was actually kinda glad that she had Adam. I admit, I had my doubts about him when they first started going out – he was kind, but he was liable to do something stupid – but I was wrong. He was actually very protective of her, and seemed to know exactly what to say to make my twin smile.

They were sweet together, and cared about each other the way Jaden and Bree cared about each other, or how Calla and Chase adored one another. It almost made me jealous.

I glanced at my phone, having unconsciously gone to Rebeccka's contact information. I'd input it a few nights ago, while we were still waiting for Rio's diagnosis, but hadn't called yet. I mean, should I? Right now, the timing was terrible, but when it wasn't so bad, should I call? I mean, I did like Rebeccka. She was funny and inquisitive and self-confident. And, unlike most humans, she didn't seem to care that I was bionic. To her, I was just another guy she'd like to give a chance.

And that was all great, but was she really the one for me? I mean, I didn't want to date someone just for the sake of dating someone. Who was that fair too? And she was human too. As much as I liked Calla and Jaden, I'd seen how bad humans could get. How manipulative they could be of those with powers. Not that I thought Rebeccka was like that, but could she be? Deep down?

I sighed, unsure of what to do. I glanced at the phone, then at the TV in Jaden's room. I tried turning it on earlier, but all it did was depress me. On practically every channel, they were talking about the earthquake.

_Ding-Dong!_

I frowned, hearing the doorbell go off. Who could that be? It was rather late, almost seven. With all the destruction that had yet to be cleaned up, there was almost no one on the streets.

_Ding-Dong!_

I pushed myself to my feet, grabbing for my crutch. With Officer Parker still at the station, I figured I might as well see who it is. I hobbled into the main hall, glad that Jaden's room was on the main floor.

"Coming!" I called, opening the door. I blinked in surprise, confused as to why Jessica was standing outside. She looked equally surprised to see me.

"Jess, what are you doing here?" "Kieran, what are you doing here?" We questioned at the same time.

"Uh, I came to see if Calla or Jaden were still around." Jessica smiled sheepishly at me. "I wanted to see how Rio was doing."

"She's in bad condition." I admitted. "But she's going to be fine."

Was it Jessica I was trying to convince, or me?

"Oh, I wanted to thank her. For, you know, saving me." Jessica continued. "It was really brave of her."

"Well, saving people is what we're trained to do." I replied, stepping out of the way so Jessica could walk in. She frowned, glancing at my knee.

"You alright?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I smiled. She nodded thoughtfully.

"So, where is everyone?" She sat down at the table, kicking the other chair out so I could sit. I smiled gratefully at her and sat down, glad to be off my leg.

"They're back at the Academy." I replied. "Davenport's needed here, and someone needs to keep things going there, so it's just me, Adam, and Rio left in town."

"Adam's still here?" Jessica perked up at that noise. "Why?"

"Rio, of course." I frowned. "He's with her at the hospital."

"That's sweet of him." Jessica commented.

"Yeah. Rio's lucky to have him." I agreed. Jessica frowned.

"Lucky to have him?" She repeated. "Like, they're…together? A couple?"

"Yeah, I thought you knew." Apparently, she didn't.

"Oh." Jessica nodded before getting up. "Well, I guess I should be going."

"So soon?" I asked, starting to get up to show her to the door. She waved me off, clearly not wanting me to get up.

"Yeah, I've got another stop to make anyway." She started towards the door, then stopped. "By the way Kieran, Rebeccka's still waiting for that call. But she won't wait forever."

"Yeah, I know." What was I going to do?

**Adam's POV**

I was just starting to nod off when Rio got another visitor.

"Sleepy much?" I raised my head, blinking drowsily as a certain blonde girl walked into the hospital room. I quickly rubbed at my eyes, sitting up.

"Yeah, I think I've grown immune to coffee." I yawned, then nodded at what she was holding her in hands. "Nice flowers."

She chuckled and placed the bouquet down on the side table. "Grabbed them from my mom's store. I wanted to thank her for saving me."

"That's nice." I replied. She smiled and sat down on the edge of Rio's bed.

"Well, I owe her. I mean, she's only like this because she saved my life." Jessica sighed.

"It wasn't your fault." I quickly reassured her. She looked at me.

"It wasn't yours either." I stared at her, but she only looked amused. "I know you, Adam. You've been sitting here for a week trying to figure out how you could have stopped it or saved her."

"Jessica-"

"It wasn't your fault." She insisted. "Now stop moping. It's not helping anyone."

"Harsh, much?" I questioned, looking at her. She sighed.

"I'm just saying that Rio wouldn't want you to blame yourself." She mentioned. She looked at Rio. "She's a nice girl, and a lucky one."

"She got hit in the head with a 60 pound flagpole." I deadpanned. Jessica rolled her eyes.

"I mean, she's lucky because she's got someone like you in her life, looking after her." She explained. I stared at her.

"Says my ex." I pointed out. Jessica nodded.

"Adam, I was upset that you couldn't trust me, but some relationships aren't meant to be." She shrugged. "You and I? That was great, it was. But you and Rio? I can see a future for you two."

"Thanks Jess." I smiled at her, glad that we were on talking terms again. She smirked.

"So you know, don't screw this up." She added before patting Rio's hand and walking away.

**Kieran's POV**

"Hey Rio." I greeted, looking at my sister's still form in the hospital bed. Adam was at the cafeteria, getting something to eat. He hadn't wanted to, but I'd insisted, and had threatened to get Tasha down here to make him eat. He only agreed to leave once I promised I'd stay with her. "You wanna wake up soon, sis?"

Silence was my response, as expected. I sat down across from her, twiddling my fingers. "I could really use your advice on the Rebeccka thing. I don't know what to do."

"I mean, I like her, a lot, but I'm not sure if I'm really up for dating her. I mean, do I like her that much? Would it even be right to date her, since it'll have to be a long distance sort of deal?" I sighed. "C'mon Rio, you're always good for advice. Hell, I think you know me better than I know myself."

I looked at her, hoping she'd open her eyes and tell me what I was supposed to do. Unfortunately, my sister didn't seem inclined to wake up and I the only sound that filled the air was the background noise of doctors and nurses walking around outside.

"Seriously, Rio. Any time now would be great." I shifted in my seat, wincing slightly at the pain in my leg. I'd take more painkillers later. A few more minutes of silence got another sigh out of me. "What happened to you being a morning person?"

I sighed, then got up, knowing that Adam would be back soon and that I was going to have to figure this out without Rio's help

**Adam's POV**

I glanced down at my phone, checking the time again. Almost ten. Visiting hours ended ages ago, but I supposed that being a bionic hero gave me privileges. No one had kicked me out once this week, even though I'd spent almost every waking moment in this room.

But Tasha was probably at the end of her patience. She already sounded frustrated and worried (a fairly common expression when it came to me and my siblings) when she'd called earlier to try and get me to come home for dinner. And I knew she'd be expecting me to come home tonight. I expected her to call any minute to demand that I get my ass back home.

I yawned, rubbing my eyes. I was exhausted, despite having not really done anything today. It was just an exhausting week, physically, mentally and emotionally.

I got up, not to leave, but to get another coffee. I leaned up against the machine and let out a sigh as I waited for it to make some crappy coffee for me to stomach.

God, I just wanted this to be over. I wished that this hadn't happened. I wished that I hadn't let Rio go into the school. I wished that we hadn't brought the students on the mission in the first place. They weren't ready, and we should have realized that.

I sighed again, grabbing my cup and heading back into the room. I placed it down next to Jessica's flowers, then pulled out my phone and started texting Tasha to let her know I was staying another hour.

It took me almost a full sixty seconds to process the fact that a pair of hazel eyes were staring at me from the bed.

"Rio!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet and nearly knocking over my coffee. Said girl blinked up at me from the bed, a tired smile on her face.

"Hey." Her voice was no more than a whisper.

"Hey." God, couldn't I think of something smarter to say than that? I sat down at her beside, taking her hand in mine. "How're you feeling?"

"Head hurts." She whimpered softly. I nodded, brushing some of the hair from her face.

"I know, I know. I'll get the doctors to give you more painkillers." I assured her. She smiled weakly at me.

"Kay." She agreed, sounding tired. I smiled back at her.

"God, I've missed you." I kissed her hand, fighting back the relieved tears. She pulled her hand away, but a second later I could feel it carding through my hair.

"I missed you too."

**Kieran's POV**

I leaned against the wall, my head lowered as I waited for the nurses to finish up with Rio. Dr. Snow, the woman who'd examined Rio, had said that she should be fine, but that they just wanted to keep her under observation for another 48 hours. Which was fine by me. I mean, so long as Rio really was okay.

Adam was outside at the moment. He'd been frustrated when the nurses kicked him out, but after I promised to go get him the second they let us back in, he'd gone out to go call Mr. Davenport and the others.

I looked at my phone, wondering who I should call. I mean, the top three people I wanted to talk to where Rio, Calla, and Rebeccka. Rio because I missed her. Calla because she was my best friend. And Rebeccka because…

I couldn't answer that one. I just knew that the thought of her made me grin and that she'd be so excited to hear that Rio was okay. They hardly knew each other, but I knew she'd be happy. I just knew.

I realized that this had to be my decision. I couldn't ask Rio what to do, I couldn't ask Calla…I had to make my decision myself.

I thought for a short moment, then dialled a number. It rang twice, then…

"Hey Rebeccka, what's up?"


	11. Simulation Manipulation

** Chase's POV **

I ducked behind the wall, narrowly avoiding being hit by a plasma ball. The rest of my group were hiding behind a smaller wall to my left, the ledge ending around waist level. The exoskeleton was focussed on us, the blasts barely missing us.

"The exoskeleton's gone rogue!" I called to my students. "We have to take it down before it destroys the whole academy."

The group started to move towards the exoskeleton and I let out a frustrated sigh. "No, you're doing it wrong. Wait for my command before you attack!"

As expected, the exoskeleton began shooting again, forcing my team to flee back over their wall. I dropped lower as a plasma ball flew over my head, and glared at my group. "Why aren't you attacking?" I demanded, seeing them just sitting there. They started moving again, but the chance to attack had passed. "Well don't do it now! Retreat!"

But it was too late. One by one, they each got hit by a plasma blast and hit the ground, effectively losing the battle. I let out a groan as the exoskeleton shut itself down. "Great! My team is down, my team is down!"

The lights turned on and Adam, his team, Calla, and Mr. Davenport walked over. "Well, I think we can all agree that's not how you take down an exoskeleton." Mr. Davenport announced, earning a few chuckles from Adam's group.

"C'mon, give us one more shot." I requested, hoping my team could straighten up and do better the second time. But Mr. Davenport shook his head.

"I'm sorry Chase, but this combat simulation was to test your student's skills and ability to focus under stress and as much as it pains me, I'm going to have to give your team a big F." I sighed in disappointment even as my team picked themselves off the ground. "Ah, who am I kidding? This doesn't hurt at all."

Adam chuckled. "It's called failure. Let me spell it out for you. F…" He froze, and I couldn't help the grin that came to my face as I waited. "You know, on second thought, why don't you spell it out for me?"

He walked away, his head held high. Calla shook her head, sighing.

"Alright, Adam. It's your turn." She announced, gesturing for his team to head to the far wall. I glanced at her.

"It wasn't that bad, right?" I asked hopefully. She bit her lip, and nodded.

"It kinda was." I sighed. "But I'm sure you'll do better next time. There are three tests, remember? You epically failing the first one doesn't guarantee that you'll do completely horrible on the next two."

I gave her a look. "Thanks." I replied sarcastically. She smirked at my tone.

"You're welcome." She replied, heading off to the corner with Mr. Davenport and the rest of my group. I followed along, waiting for Adam to screw his test up. I mean, how could he possibly do better than me?

While Calla and Mr. Davenport re-set the test, I approached my teammates. "I can't believe you guys messed up the combat simulation. What's the first thing I taught you?" I didn't wait for their answer. "Do as I say, and as I do."

"Good pep talk, babe." Calla nodded at me, giving her a hard look. "You ready, Adam?"

"Alright guys!" Adam spun around for a quick pep talk of his own. "What's the first thing I taught you?"

"Don't be like Chase!" His teammates chanted in unison. Calla smirked and, as they were giving themselves high-fives, hit the button that would activate the exoskeleton. It blasted a few warning shots and Adam's guys ducked behind the barrier.

"Okay! Let's do what we do." Adam grinned. He waited for the exoskeleton to shoot off one more shot, then shouted, "Now!"

His team used their super strength to throw the barrier at the exoskeleton, knocking it to the ground and pinning it there. Adam smiled. "And that's what we do."

They high-fived themselves again as we walked over. "That was amazing!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed.

"Yeah. That was even faster than Bree's team last week." Calla added.

"And yours." I pointed out. She gave me a cold look.

"Hey, at least I did better than your team." She pointed out. Adam chuckled.

"Hey, all I'm hearing is Chase lost and I'm a better teacher." He replied. I scoffed.

"No way! You are not a better teacher than I am!" I argued.

"Calm down dude." Adam told me. "You have plenty of other things to be proud of, and once we find out what those things are, you're going to feel a lot better."

"Guys!" Calla interrupted us before we could start arguing. "Like I said before, there are two more tests to evaluate the students' progress."

"Calla's right. Chase, I'm sure you'll do better on the next one. It's more…cerebral." Mr. Davenport added. I grinned.

"Yes!" I spun around to face Adam. "Me and my brainiacs are going to take you down!"

Adam frowned. "You're taunting me and making fun of yourself at the same time. I didn't think that was possible."

"Look, both teams will be judged on how well they handle analytical thinking." Mr. Davenport continued.

"Alright guys! Huddle up!" Adam called, gathering his group in a circle. "Does anyone know what analytical thinking is?"

"Yeah, I'd say you've got the second round locked up." Mr. Davenport commented when no one from Adam's team could reply.

** Leo's POV **

I got up slowly, waking up from my between classes nap. Not even bothering to open my eyes, I got to my feet and started walking over to the counter, intending to turn on the TV. That is, until one of my feet stepped in something both crusty and gooey. My eyes snapping open, I looked down to see that I was indeed standing in a pie. Groaning in disgust, I looked around the room to see that it was a pigsty, with clothing, food and garbage every which way. I stumbled to the counter, disgusted, just as Bree walked in.

"Hey Leo." She greeted. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, just grabbing a glass of milk…to go with my pie." I raised my foot to show her, the desert still stuck to it. Then I glanced at the milk and tipped it over the garbage can. It fell out of the glass in chunks, proving just how old it must have been. "What is going on here? This is disgusting!"

"Yeah, welcome to my world!" Bree exclaimed. "Adam and Chase are like a couple of farm animals."

"Yeah, well at least farm animals lick themselves clean every once in a while." I complained. "I guess I'm going to have to clean this whole place up myself."

I lifted my foot, going to remove the pie. "Hand me that towel."

"Uh, I…I wouldn't use that one." Bree replied. I looked back at her.

"Why not?" I questioned.

"Because it's moving." We both looked down at the towel to see it squirming away. I stared at it, my bionic arm ready in case it was a rat or something similar.

** Chase's POV **

I was talking to Jaden and Calla before the second test when Leo stormed into the room, carrying a bucket of cleaning supplies. "Listen up, roomies!"

His annoyed tone caught my attention as Adam and I turned to face him. "You've got another person living with you now!" Leo continued. "You need to respect that."

I frowned, confused as to why he was angry with us. "Leo, what are you talking about?"

"I have been scrubbing our room for the past six hours! I've got pruney fingers!" He exclaimed.

"Why did you not wear gloves?" Calla questioned, looking at my stepbrother.

"I did!" Leo hissed. "I don't care which one of you is making the mess, just stop!"

To prove his point, he threw the cleaning supplies to the ground, thought he did struggle a bit with the yellow cleaning gloves.

"Well now who's making a mess?" Adam grumbled, walking away. Jaden frowned, looking in the direction Leo went.

"Should someone go see what the hell that was about? I mean, you guys can't be that messy." He commented.

"Yeah, have fun. Report back to us." Calla jokingly pushed her brother down the hall, earning herself a half-hearted glare.

"Alright guys!" We looked up as Mr. Davenport entered the room. "It's time for the second challenge. Everybody to your work stations."

My group followed me to the left while Adam's group went to the right and Calla joined Mr. Davenport in the middle, taking the tablet from him.

"Alright boys and girls, let's get started." She announced, pressed a button and a virtual bomb appeared in front of us.

"Each team will have sixty seconds to defuse their 3D virtual explosive device." Mr. Davenport announced. I grinned. This would be easy.

"This is going to be like taking dynamite from a baby." I joked, my teammates nodding in agreement.

"Now, just a reminder." Calla added. "The explosives may be fake, but the potential for humiliating is very, very real. Enjoy."

"Don't forget to work together as a team." Mr. Davenport continued as Calla pressed another button. Barriers appeared around each work station, preventing the other team from cheating. "Your sixty seconds start…now."

A timer appeared in front of us and my team set to work. "Okay guys, we've been through this a million times. Once we've assessed the detonator's internal architecture, remove the doors, expose the motherboard, clip the primary command node, then the firing mechanism will deactivate. Got that?" To my frustration, I was met with confused looks. "Now!"

"Well done Adam!" I looked over my shoulder to see that Adam's team had completed their task. How was that possible?

"Yeah." Calla nodded. "Congratulations on defusing the device and not knowing that red and blue make purple."

I looked back at my group to see them watching Adam's team celebrate. "Don't worry, we have plenty of time."

"Five seconds." Mr. Davenport called from behind me, and I panicked.

"Out of my way! You're all useless!" I shouted, pushing them out of the way in my scramble to defuse the device.

"Three…two…one…" Mr. Davenport counted down as I tried to figure it out.

"No wait! I need more-" Before I could finish, the virtual bomb virtually exploded into flames. I stared at it in both shock and horror.

"Time." Adam added smugly, staring down at me.

"Don't worry Chase. I'm not going to say that I'm disappointed." Mr. Davenport assured me. "Just know I'm thinking it."

** Leo's POV **

I stopped short upon entering the mentors' quarters. I'd spent hours cleaning it to perfection, making it so clean that it would impress even Chase, who had been a neat freak since the day I'd met him. Everything had been tidy, hell, I'd even organized the DVD and book collections alphabetically. And within a span of half an hour, it had been reverted to the way it was before.

"I thought you cleaned this place." Jaden looked around in horror.

I ignored him, instead glaring at the only other occupants of the room – Adam and Chase. "What have you done?"

"What are you talking about?" Adam sounded confused.

"Yeah, we haven't done anything." Chase agreed. I fixed him with a hard stare,

"I had a feeling you might say that." I walked over to the table where my tablet had been left untouched by the tornado that destroyed the room. "Which is why I have this. That's right, savages; security footage. Let's take a look."

They both shrugged. "Hey, put it on a screen and I'll watch anything."

I sat down on the couch, pressing play. I did not expect what I saw.

Bree. Chugging chocolate syrup and letting it run down her chin. Wiping her hands on the couch. Eating popcorn while clipping her toenails.

"What a woman." Chase joked while I looked on in horror.

"She's an animal!" I exclaimed.

"No, that's an animal." Adam gestured to the still moving blanket. "Oh look!" He said cheerfully. "He grew!"

"Okay, obviously there's some sort of explanation for why she'd be so…lazy." Jaden told us, staring at the screen.

"No, you're just dating a pig." I commented.

** Chase's POV **

I let out a frustrated sigh upon seeing my students train. "Wrong!" I shouted, making them stop. "Wrong. Terrible, bad. Euugh, no. Do it again."

"Chase!" I looked up to see Calla sitting on the steps at the edge of the training area. I walked over to her, only for her to continue. "Did you ever think you might be losing these challenges because you're going about it all wrong?"

I thought about it. "No."

Calla sighed. "You're reprimanding them, not really helping them learn how to do something properly. It's not exactly the most effective teaching style. Maybe try a little teamwork like Adam did."

"I don't need to copy Adam to win." I retorted. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Going around the Academy wearing Harry Potter glasses and telling everyone to call him 'Professor Adam' from now on." She replied with a shrug.

"He is not a professor!" I argued. "And he is not a better teacher than I am!"

"Dude, he's wearing glasses!" Calla argued. I gave her a look, but it didn't remove the small from her face. "All jokes aside, you may get a better response from your team if you allow them to participate more in the decision making."

I laughed at the very idea, then realized that she wasn't laughing. "Wait, you're serious?"

"You chose the smart kids for a reason, Chase. Give them the chance to show you why." Calla stood up. "Listen, there's one last test. Your team only have one last chance to prove themselves, and for you to prove yourself. Just…think about what I said, alright?"

I sighed and nodded. "Alright."

"Good. Now, I've got a project to finish, but I'll see you at the next test, okay?" She asked. I nodded, then frowned.

"Wait, which project?" I asked, confused. I didn't know she had any new projects on the go. She grinned.

"I'm working on a security system for my laptop, and eventually the Academy." She replied. "And I don't mean a new firewall or anything like that."

"Then what do you mean?" I asked.

"I was thinking something similar to Eddy, but with a little less snark." She replied before giving me a peck on the cheek. "I've got to go now if I want to finish the last of the basic programming parameters before Perry calls lights out. I'm hoping to have the whole program done by the end of the week so I can mock Eddy with her on the weekend. See you later, okay?" And with that, she headed off to her room.

As soon as she left, I turned back to my students who had obviously been listening in on the whole conversation. "Okay. That's it. I am not about to lose to Adam and his meatheads three times in a row. We have to show them that we're better than them!" They all nodded in agreement. "And the best way to do that is to manipulate your bionic chips so I can control your every move."

That idea was met with strange looks and stares. "Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. Isn't that cheating? Well, let me just nip this in the bud. YES! YES IT IS!"

** Xxx **

The next day, I made my students get up early so I could manipulate their chips like I said. "Alright." I announced, pressing the last button necessary. "I've figured out a way to use my override app to control all of you at once, which means no more mistakes because when I think of something, you'll do it. To bad I can't do that to everyone." I sighed. "Alright, let's link up."

My students lines up in front of me and I activated my override app, connecting to all five of them. "There. Let's test it out." I declared when I'd finished.  _Start doing jumping jacks._  I thought to them.

They just stood there, not moving. "Why aren't you doing what I'm thinking?" I tried again, but nothing happened. I let raised my hands in frustration, letting them fall limply against my legs afterwards. I glared at my team as they copied me. "Great, now you're mocking me. Very funny."

I put my hands on my hips, trying to think. And trying to ignore the fact that they were still copying me. Then it hit me. "Wait a minute." I looked at them, then raised one hands. They did the same. I raised the other, spun around and started swinging my hips to find them doing the same. "Duh!" I exclaimed, raising my hands in the air again and letting them fall. "My override app must not be able to control this many people! Instead of doing what I'm thinking, you're just mirroring what I do. We can't make it through the test like this!"

"Chase! Test time! C'mon!" Calla chose that moment to call me over. "Mr. Davenport's waiting!"

"They're going to know we're cheating." I worried aloud. "What do we do."

I began to bite my nails, a nervous habit I'd picked up, but stopped when I saw them all doing it to. "Quit it!" I exclaimed, slapping the hand of the nearest student, Luke, away from him. He did the same, slapping Maya's hand, who slapped Mathew's, who slapped Rory's, who slapped Owen's. God, we were so screwed.

** Leo's POV **

I waited for a long time, trying to catch Bree in the act of making a mess. I finally got my proof when she tossed an ice cream wrapper over the couch and it landed on my head. "Aha!" I exclaimed, jumping out from the behind the couch. "Busted! You're the slob!"

Bree frowned. "Leo? I was aiming for the trash can."

"You mean the one that's not on his forehead?" Jaden asked, walking out from the hall. He looked at Bree, an eyebrow raised.

"Um…I…" Bree stammered. I didn't give her the chance to defend herself.

"I have a whole video of you trashing this place!" I told her. She frowned at me.

"If you have a video, why are you trying to catch me in the act?" She questioned.

"Because this is more dramatic." I replied dramatically. Jaden gave me a look, then looked at Bree.

"Babe, you do have an explanation for this, right?" He asked hopefully.

"I…I don't know." She admitted. "I guess for the first time in my life, I actually have some freedom and I'm enjoying it."

"This is not freedom. This is cesspool of filth and girl garbage." Jaden deadpanned.

"Okay, look. If you were stuck in a basement for your whole life, you would want to let loose too!" She looked at me directly. "And you are the new guy here, so if you have a problem with my mess, you can go live with the rest of the students in their dorm."

"Oh, I am not going anywhere!" I retorted. Like I could survive living in the same dorm as Bob. "And you know what? Two can play at this game." I looked around, then smiled when I found what I was looking for. I grabbed a large jug of orange juice off the table and walked towards the back of the room.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Bree demanded. I didn't answer her, instead choosing to show her. I turned to face her as I dumped the orange juice all over the floor of her capsule.

"Hey! That's where I sleep!" She exclaimed, furious.

"Not tonight." I replied.

"Leo…" Jaden tried to stop me, but it was too late. Bree was pissed off. She narrowed her eyes at me, then sped off to find something. She sped back into the room, skidding to a stop next to the couch where I slept.

"This blanket doesn't seem warm enough. You know what it needs? A nice layer of month old chilli." She told me before dumping the chilli over my sleeping area.

"Bree, c'mon. Be mature about this." Jaden tried again, but to no avail.

"Looks delicious." I commented through clenched teeth. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take out the trash."

I grabbed the bag from the overflowing trashcan and tossed its contents into the capsule, allowing them to land in the sticky orange juice.

"Oh yeah?" Bree sped away again, this time returning with a red bucket full of fish. "You know the best part about living on an island? All the fresh sea food that's been rotting in the sun."

The dumped the bucket of rotten fish onto the couch, making my lunch crawl back up my throat. I gagged, trying to fight back to the bile. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"That makes two of us." Jaden commented before walking out, looking at the two of us as if we were crazy.

** Chase's POV **

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. This was not going to end well, I could already tell.

"Welcome to the third and final challenge!" Mr. Davenport announced. He'd decided to make the final challenge almost like a game show, with him as the host, Calla as the pretty show girl, and some of the students who'd already been tested as the crowd. I could see Spin, Bob, Kieran and Rio at the other end of the room, laughing and joking around among their peers as they waited for this to begin. "Calla, introduce our contestants!"

"On this side, we have Adam Davenport, strongman extraordinaire! His teammates are: Thomas, Oliver, Hunter, Dean and Logan!" She announced, earning cheers (an especially loud one from Rio) and a loud applause. "Adam, you have an opportunity to lead your team to a third victory!"

"And on this side, we have Chase Davenport, boy genius! His teammates are: Maya, Jeremy, Mathew, Owen, and Rory!" Less clapping and cheering, but still a fair amount. "Chase, you and your team have one last chance to save yourself from lifetime of ridicule from your brother, and Mr. Davenport, and me."

"And Bree. She's not here, but I'm pretty sure she'd want in on some of this." Adam added.

Mr. Davenport chuckled. "Now, this last test will challenge both your mental and physical prowess so there will be a brief warm-up period of brisk exercise."

"No movement!" I exclaimed, unable to help myself. We were so going to get busted for this. Everyone stared at me. "I mean, stretching's overrated. What's the worst that can happen? Torn hamstring?" I shrugged, immediately regretting the action when my teammates did the same. Luckily, Mr. Davenport didn't seem to notice.

"Alright, suit yourself." He told me, patting my arm before walking over to Adam's group as they stretched.

"Guys!" I spun around to face them, then turned back around when I realized they'd be forced to turn around too. "Guys, no one can find out I'm controlling you. So just keep quiet and follow my lead, got it?" I waited for an answer, but never got one. "Why aren't you nodding? Oh, right." I nodded for them, making them agree with me.

"Deep in the bowels of the Academy…" Mr. Davenport began explaining the challenge. "…is a high tech maze, complete with obstacles that I control with this tablet!"

"Electric walls, ninja stars, and my own personal favourite, flaming balls of fury." Calla added as fire balls appeared on the screen. "Your challenge will be to complete the maze, and the first team to do so wins."

"But before we start, I need to speak with both mentors." Mr. Davenport motioned for me, Calla, and Adam to follow him to the center of the room. I did so, but so did my teammates. "Guys," Mr. Davenport looked at them. "Give us a second?"

They didn't move. "Dudes, leave!" Calla gestured over at Chase's side. They still couldn't move. Adam sighed.

"Let me handle this." He told us before forcibly pushing my teammates back several steps. He was smirking when he came back.

"For this challenge, it's just the students." He told us. My eyes widened. It would have been difficult enough to pull this off when I was doing the challenge with the students, but without? We were so screwed.

"What? No!" I protested, but it was too late to change Mr. Davenport's mind.

"Teams, I hope you've studied the map carefully." Mr. Davenport announced.

"If not, too bad." Calla told them, pressing a button on the tablet. The ground beneath the students disappeared, only leaving standing room underneath me, Adam, Calla, Mr. Davenport, and the spectators in the stands. The students fell into the maze, disappearing altogether.

"Alright guys, let's watch their progress." Calla pressed a button and a screen came down, showing both teams inside the maze. "And yes, it's in glorious HD."

"Adam's team is off to a great start," Mr. Davenport announced, trying to both entertain and inform the other students at the same time. "While Chase's team…hasn't moved at all."

"Ha! Looks like you guys are going to lose again." Adam teased.

"Not if I can help it." I backed into the far corner, where nobody could really see me that well, and concentrated on the screen. If I could just plan my movements perfectly…I leapt into the air, my team leaping over a barrier, then did a walk like I was doing the limbo to help them avoid a metal bar. I began moving around in different odd looking fashions in an attempt to help my team. It was only when I noticed Kieran and Rio staring at me did I stop.

"What are you doing?" Kieran demanded, looking at me as if I was short a few marbles.

"What? They keep losing. I have to do my good luck dance." To prove my point, I danced a bit. They just shook their heads at me.

"And I thought Adam was weird." Rio muttered before turning back to the screen. I continued my movements, praying that we could some how get through this.

** Leo's POV **

Twenty minutes after Jaden had left, and things had gotten much worse between Bree and I. We were both covered head to toe in disgustingness, the smell starting to get bad. "Are you done yet?" She demanded, holding up a fish head.

"Oh, I can go all night." I responded. "I lost my sense of smell hours ago"

I glanced to the side to see the laundry basket I'd taken as my secret weapon. "Which is why I can bury you in Adam's dirty, sweaty, work out clothes."

I went to throw them, but was stopped by another voice. "ENOUGH!"

We both turned to see Jaden standing at the door. "That is enough." He told us sternly, nose wrinkled up in disgust. "This has gone far enough. Look at yourselves."

We did, and for the first time, noticed how bad things had gotten. Bree sighed. "Jaden's right." She admitted. "But there has got to be a way where I can stay messy and Leo won't have to clean up after me."

I stopped, an idea coming to me. "Maybe there is."

** Xxx **

"Ah, much better." Jaden sighed, wrapping an arm around Bree. He was clearly enjoying the fact that we'd both taken showers before coming back to the couch.

"This is a great idea, Leo." Bree grinned at me. "This is going to work out perfectly."

"Yes it is." I agreed. Bree glanced down at the now empty pizza, then grabbed it in one hand.

"Okay, I'm finished!" She called before tossing it over her shoulder. The exoskeleton that stood in the doorway raised its arm and obliterated the box with one shot.

"That was awesome." Jaden grinned. "I'm not hungry, but let's order more stuff we can blow up."

It was times like these that I remembered why I was such good friends with him.

** Chase's POV **

I continued to jump, dodge, and run around in a circle, trying to get my team through the final test. "Chase, I can't believe it!" Mr. Davenport commented. "Your team is actually winning."

I didn't respond instead continuing to run. Then Adam started running alongside me, his gaze switching between me and the screen.

"Adam, what are you doing?" Mr. Davenport demanded.

"I don't know, but it's working for Chase." He copied my movements to a T, even removing his jacket when I did because the heat was starting to get to me.

Mr. Davenport just gave us both a weird look while Calla hid her laugh behind her hand. She was giving me this knowing look, obviously having connected at least some of the dots.

"I wonder…" She said aloud, regaining some of her composure. "How can we make this more difficult? Oh, I know! Flash mobs!"

I covered my face, hoping the lights wouldn't be bright enough to burn my team's eyes. "Not good enough." My girlfriend continued. "What about those flaming balls of fury?"

"Good idea, Calla!" I nearly let out a sob as I ducked to avoid the fireballs on the screen. Calla was doing this on purpose. She had to be. She knew I was cheating, though she probably didn't know how, and wanted to teach me a lesson in morality or something. God, I loved her, but sometimes she made my life so difficult…

"Chase, your team is almost out." Mr. Davenport told me. I grinned.

"Great. Go team." I replied breathlessly, continuing my movements the moment he turned his back.

"Almost there…almost there…almost there….they made it!" Mr. Davenport announced. I collapsed to the floor, winded and exhausted as Adam complained.

"Let's bring them up!" Mr. Davenport announced, pressing a button. The platform was raised, Adam's team looking upset while my team lay on the floor just like me.

"Why aren't they celebrating?" Mr. Davenport asked. I sighed, got to my feet, and began celebrating.

"Yay! We won! We won!" They were jumping too, no one making a sound.

"Wait a minute!" Adam shouted suddenly. I froze, hoping that no one noticed that we were jumping at the same time. "Something's going on here."

"Yeah, it's called failure." I replied.

"No, it's not that." Adam continued thoughtfully. "I know that really well."

He put on the Harry Potter glasses Calla had mentioned, walking up to me. "What are you doing?" I questioned nervously.

"Professor Adam is about to conduct a science experiment." He announced before stomping extremely hard on my foot. I started hopping, grabbing at my injured foot. My team did the same. "Just as I thought! This means they messed with something that caused something to happen…I think…"

Mr. Davenport looked at us, while Calla was shaking her head. "Chase, care to explain?"

I laughed nervously, knowing I was busted. Then, on instinct, I ran for it, my teammates not far behind.

** Xxx **

I couldn't hide forever though. Mr. Davenport, Calla, and Adam found me later, sitting at one of the computer desks in section 4 of the Academy. "Cheating?" Mr. Davenport demanded, walking in. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't know. I guess I jut got carried away." I admitted.

"Chase, these tests were created to measure your students progress, instead you turned it into a competition between you and your brother."

"Which I won." Adam interrupted.

"And handily." Calla added.

I sighed as Mr. Davenport continued. "But that's not the point. If you'd been less focused on beating Adam and more focused on being a good teacher, your team would have had the tools to win for themselves."

"Okay. You're right." I admitted. "But just in case, can I have a new team?"

"No." Mr. Davenport shut me down.

"Ugh!" I groaned, burying my head in my arms and facing the desk. "Fine! I'll work on becoming a better teacher!"

"Good. Now make sure you make sure you make it up to your team."

"Got it." I muttered.

"We'll talk about your punishment later." Mr. Davenport finished. I heard the sound of retreating footsteps, but the hand running through my hair told me I wasn't alone.

"Are you going to lecture me too?" I asked, not looking up. The hand didn't stop, instead moving to the back of my neck and massaging circles in it.

"Nah, I found it kinda amusing anyway." Calla replied.

"Then what?" I questioned.

"Leo set the exoskeleton to blow up trash for us. Wanna go blow things up?" She asked, her voice light.

"No."

"It'll make you feel better." She insisted. I sighed.

"Fine." I agreed, getting up. Calla grinned.

"Awesome. Because I've got a whole box full of old homework assignments that I would love to see go up in flames." She grabbed my hand and started pulling me down the hall. I chuckled at her enthusiasm, knowing that she was only acting this excited about the exo because she knew it would make me smile.

"So, any idea what my punishment is?" I asked, pulling her hands closer to me. She grinned, glad to see I was playing along with her good mood.

"I think he was going to let Adam control you with the override app for a few hours. Should be fun. Or not…it is Adam." She told me. I chuckled. She had a very good point.


	12. Family Reunions

** Chase's POV **

"Morning beautiful." I greeted as Calla made her way down to breakfast. As per her usual morning routine, she completely ignored everyone until she had a plate of food in front of her.

"Morning." She greeted finally, a fork in one hand. I chuckled.

"God, what is with you and crepes?" I chuckled, looking at her place. She gave me a playful glare.

"They're tasty." She defended herself. "And besides, I only have them once in a while."

"Right." I rolled my eyes. She had such a sweet tooth. "So, any plans for Friday night? Mr. Davenport said that there aren't any classes Friday, Saturday, or Sunday because the students have been working so hard."

"I'm not sure…but I was thinking-" She was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. She glanced at the Caller ID, frowned, and answered it. "Hey Mom. What's going on?"

She got up, abandoning her meal in favour of the conversation. I watched her go, about to dig into my own meal, when Mr. Davenport walked over with Adam and Bree behind him.

"Chase, we need to talk." He told me. He frowned. "Where's Calla?"

"On the phone with her mom." I replied. He nodded.

"Alright. Nicole's probably telling her now." He decided. "I just got a call from Mr. Singer, Mission Creek High's current principle."

"Alright..." Bree sat down next to me. "And what does this have to do with us?"

"Well, since you guys went there for three years, and since the reason you guys dropped out had to do with saving the world and all, the school board would like to give you guys the opportunity to graduate with the rest of your classmates."

"Graduate?" "Seriously?" "Even Adam?" We questioned in surprise.

"Yeah, even Adam." Mr. Davenport chuckled. Leo frowned at him from his seat.

"Why aren't I graduating? I helped save the world too!" He protested.

"Your class graduates next year, remember?" Mr. Davenport reminded him. I grinned.

"This is awesome." The only disappointing thing about coming to the island meant giving up my chance to graduate like a normal kid, but it looks like I got that wish too. "When is it?"

"Friday night." Calla replied, walking back over to us with a bright grin on her face. "You heard?"

"Yeah. I take it you're graduating too?" I guessed. Her smile brightened.

"All those online courses paid off. Plus, that's not the only thing I'm happy about." She grinned. "Guess who's valedictorian."

"No way." Bree looked between Calla and I. "I always thought it would be Chase. Isn't it supposed to be the student with the highest grades?"

"Well, I guess they took Chase out of the running on account of his bionic super intelligence. You have to admit, it did give you an unfair advantage." Calla shrugged. "But yeah, I'm the valedictorian for our year."

"You do realize that means you'll have to write a speech, right?" Adam reminded her. Calla stopped for a moment, then nodded.

"Right. Speeches. Fun." She rolled her eyes. "I'll come up with something, I'm sure."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Calla gave Leo a harsh look. "We both know you suck at writing speeches."

"Well this speech is going to be awesome." She retorted.

"Oh really?" Leo challenged.

"Okay guys, that's enough. I'm sure Calla will write a decent speech."

"Oh great. Build up the pressure, would you?" Calla grumbled half-heartedly before digging into her breakfast.

** Xxx **

"I can't believe we're about to graduate." Bree muttered nervously, tapping her feet impatiently against the ground. She kept fidgeting the way she always did when she was nervous, occasionally adjusting her cap, messing around with her blue gown, biting her lip.

Adam was completely at ease, on the other hand, pleasantly chatting away with David Darrell, the kid in line in front of us. I was quietly texting Calla while we waited for this to start, both of us annoyed at the large distance between us. I had practically no friends sitting near me due to the alphabetical order that they sat us in. The closest person, aside from my siblings, that we knew pretty well was Jessica, and there were six people in between us.

Jaden was in the middle of the crowd, sitting between his mom and a tall, brown haired man, looking bored. Kieran and Rio, who'd both convinced Mr. Davenport to let them come, were in the row right in front of Jaden, sitting right next to Mr. Davenport, Tasha, Leo, and even Grandma Rose.

My phone vibrated in my hands then, a text coming in.

** From: Calla **

** Why R they making us wait? Can't we get this over with already? **

I chuckled, easily able to imagine how nervous she is. While Calla could public speak well, she had never enjoyed making speeches. Improvising had always come naturally to her, but reading off queue cards had always bothered her to no end.

I smirked, sending back a quick reply.

** To: Calla **

** It'll start soon enough. Just relax. It'll be fine. **

Almost as soon as I sent my reply, the new principal stepped on stage. He was a short man, with dark hair and a soul patch.

"Welcome students, parents, guardians, and all other visitors. For those who haven't met me, I'm Principal Jerry Singer. Though I haven't been here at this school very long, I feel like I've gotten to know the students very well and I'm proud to see all of them moving forward into hopefully very successful lives. With that said, I'd like to welcome the valedictorian of the graduating class of 2015, Calla Parker, to the stage."

The audience burst into applause as Calla made her way up the stairs. I could see a set of queue cards clutched tightly in her hands as she walked on stage, a nervous smile on her face. She stopped at the podium, glancing out at the crowd. I gave her a smile and she nodded at me before beginning.

"Good morning, Mission Creek High." She began, glancing down at her queue cards. "You all have no idea what an honour it is to be standing in front of you today, giving this speech, so I'd first like to thank you all for the opportunity. But today isn't about me. It's about all of us, and our futures."

"When we were young, we all had different expectations of what our futures would be like. Many of us wanted to be famous, or rich, or in love. Many of us had clear ideas of what we wanted and what our futures would be like. We always had one idea in our minds of what the world would be like when we grew up. This past year has shown us that things can change in the blink of an eye. One year ago, would any one of you have believed in superheroes? Or that a psychopath would actually try to brainwash the world? It sounds like the plot of the next X-men movie, but this has become our reality. But this new reality is the first of many. In the next few years, we're all going to be faced with many changes. College, university, jobs, family…everything we know if going to change. And some of these changes will affect how we look at our lives."

"The future's got a lot in store for us, but it's not some distant reality anymore. The future is today, because we came into this school as children, and now we're leaving as mature adults. We've finally completed the education designed to help us move on into this strange new world. Some of us will be going to university, some of us to college, and some of us straight into the work force. But we're all moving on."

"No matter where each of us go, or what we decide to do, there will be challenges. And I hope, with all my heart, that we'll all meet these challenges with open minds and brave hearts. No more backing down because one stupid little fears. Face them, beat them, and rise above them. Because our future belongs to those who are not afraid. It belongs to the curious. The ones who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, question it and turn it inside out."

"I'm not going to lie to you – it's not going to be easy. In fact, it's going to be far from it. And it's going to be hard and it's going to hurt, and it's going to be unfair, but it's going to be worth it. Because all the sweat, blood and tears are going to create something beautiful that each one of us deserves. Each and every one of us has something out there, just waiting for us to find it. So go out there and find it."

"So, let's get started on our futures. Remember, be brave, don't let anything stand in your way, and try not to piss off any bionic superhumans. Seriously, it doesn't end well for anyone. Thank you." Calla let out a long held breath, smiling softly at the crowd. There was a moment of brief pause, then the graduating class burst into applause. Calla ducked her head, blushing as she went back to her seat between Kaitlin Mulligan and Colin Payne.

"Thank you for the inspiring words, Miss Parker." Principal Singer nodded gratefully at her. "Now, without further ado…let's get onto business, shall we? Let's welcome our graduates. Thomas Arclight…"

The students went on and on, from Backstrom to Burnham, Campbell to Chase, all the way to Davenport.

Adam stepped on stage first, grinning ear to ear. Not many people had ever thought he'd really graduate, at least, not with the rest of us. Bree went up next, flipping her hair over her shoulder, earning a whistle coming from Jaden's direction. I nearly laughed, but stopped myself, knowing I was going up next. I stepped onto the stage when my name called, smiling as I walked towards the principal. It felt weird, having never actually had him as a principal, but I didn't let that bother me. I shook his hand, then the hand of the superintendant, then took my diploma and headed back to my seat. Though my moment up there was short, it felt like the best moment of my entire life.

As the names continued to be called, from Amy Gill to Kaitlin Mulligan, we saw many friends step onto the stage, all smiling. Rebeccka, with a little victory dance. Jessica, with that shy smile of hers. Caleb, whom we all glared at. Kaitlin, with eyes wide and happy.

Calla was the next to go after Kaitlin, smiling brightly. She grinned brightly, shaking the principal and superintendant's hands brightly before taking her diploma back to her seat. We sat through several more students, going from Colin Payne all the way to Dustin Turner.

"The class of 2015!" Principal Singer announced. The students in our class jumped to their feet, Rebeccka being the first to toss her cap in the air. It reminded me of all the cliché graduation scene in the movies.

** Xxx **

"Look out world, here comes Adam Davenport!" Adam shouted jokingly, holding his diploma proudly.

"God save us now." Calla laughed, walking up to us, her cap tucked her right arm. Her hair was askew from the cap, but she never looked happier.

"Great speech." I complimented, hugging her tightly. She grinned.

"Thank you." She laughed lightly. "Hey, you haven't seen my mom or brother, have you? I can't seem to find them."

"Uh, I saw them early. They're probably just lost in the crowd." I replied. She shrugged.

"Alright. I'll find them eventually." She shrugged. "So, did we lose K-Dog too?"

"Yeah, Rebeccka grabbed him on her way out." Rio cocked her head to the side, lost in her head for a moment. She was silent for a bit, then nodded thoughtfully. "Kieran says they're going to the arcade, grabbing a bite to eat."

"Sounds fun. Wanna crash their date?" Leo said jokingly. Calla gave him to a pointed look.

"No. It's their first real date. Don't you even think about going within a 5 mile radius of that arcade."

"Geez, bossy much?" Jaden pushed through the crowd. He didn't wait for his sister to answer, instead grabbing her by the arm and trying to pull her away. "Now, come on, Cal!"

"Why, what's going on?" Calla's eyes were lit up with curiosity. Clearly, the excitement from graduating had yet to wear off yet. "Jay!"

"Let your sister go, Jaden." Both siblings stopped short at the sound of a man's voice. We all turned to see the man that had been sitting next to Jaden during the ceremony. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. Something about him reminded me a lot of Jaden.

"Oh my God…" Calla looked positively stunned, her reaction making the man grin. "Dad?"

"Hey angel." He held out his hands, pulling Calla into a hug.

"Dad?" I repeated quietly. Calla had told me that her father worked in the Navy, hence why they rarely got to see him. "Your dad's in town?"

"Yeah, Mom called him when she found out Calla was graduating this weekend." Jaden explained as Officer Parker herself walked over.

"Congratulations sweetheart." She told her daughter before smiling at the three of us. "You too guys. You should be proud of yourselves."

"Thanks Officer Parker." Bree replied. She grinned.

"Why don't you guys come with us to dinner tonight? Our treat." She offered. Adam smiled at her.

"Thanks, but no thanks Officer Parker." He replied. "I was going to give Rio a tour of the town, seeing as we haven't been back since the town started cleaning itself up after the earthquake."

"You two be careful. We don't want any more accidents." She warned.

"We will be m'am. Thank you." Rio replied before pulling Adam away. Officer Parker turned to us.

"So, dinner?" She offered. Bree and I exchanged glanced. This would be an interesting night…

** Calla's POV **

To my surprise, dinner was off to a great start. It was light small talk, Dad and Jaden debating sports stuff while Mom asked Bree and Chase questions about the Academy. It was only during desert when things started to go down hill.

"So Calla," Dad turned to me as I dug into my apple pie. "What universities have you checked out so far?"

"Um…" I glanced at Mom, who shook her head, making it clear that I was on my own. "None. I wasn't going to go to university."

"Excuse me?" My dad looked at me incredulously.

"Well Mr. Davenport's already offered me a position at his company. I'm working as a mentor at his Bionic Academy. It's good pay too."

"Right, at the Bionic Academy." Dad clicked his tongue in displeasure.

"What's wrong with the Bionic Academy?" Bree asked.

"Look, a bunch of immature children were given dangerous abilities through the experimentation and are now being trained to do who-knows-what." My father replied gruffly.

"Dad…" I warned, ducking my head in embarrassment.

"Well, what would you have us do? None of us exactly chose to be bionic." Bree defended themselves.

"Oh God." Jaden pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Well, have some actual, government approved supervisors, for one." Dad replied.

"We tried that. It didn't work out for anyone." Chase retorted.

"Chase…" I warned quietly, squeezing his leg to make my point clear. He gave me an annoyed look and went straight back to the conversation.

"Sure Graham didn't handle it the way it probably should have, but foregoing any government involvement was a mistake." Dad continued. "I mean, Davenport could be training you all to be weapons for all we know."

"He is not…" Bree broke off, glancing at Jaden. She sighed. "Sir, we're all just trying to help."

Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, checking my text messages.

** From: Becky **

** Hey guys! I'm sending this message out to everyone on my contacts list, just to save time. A bunch of us have decided to go out to the lake in Mission Creek Woods tomorrow around. All night bonfire + BBQ. And for all the goodie-two-shoes, yes we cleared the bonfire idea with the park ranger. Text me if you're coming. **

I smirked. Of course Rebeccka would be the one throwing a party. And perfect timing too.

"Hey!" I interrupted Chase, mid sentence. "Becky's throwing a party tomorrow. Jay, Chase, Bree, you guys in?"

"Rebeccka's throwing a party? Her parents know?" Dad chuckled. "Because I remember that party she threw the last time I was in town…"

"It's down at the lake, not at her house, so I doubt the fire department's going to need to be called. Though, come to think of it, it is a bonfire…" I broke off, a smirk on my face.

"There's going to be chaperones." Mom warned.

"Really?" Jaden complained.

"Yes, because we all know what happens when Rebeccka's near fire." Mom nodded. "It's going to be me, and a few of my deputies."

"Maybe I'll come." Dad offered, smiling at Mom. "Spend a little time up at the cabins with you."

"Oh, gross." Jaden wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Dude, get your head out of the gutter." I retorted, glad that everyone had been distracted from their previous argument. Well, mostly everyone. Chase still didn't seem to pleased, but thankfully didn't say anything. At least, not at dinner.

** Chase's POV **

"So your dad hates bionic people." I mentioned as we walked into my house. Calla rolled her eyes, dropping her bags onto the counter. She wasn't staying long, just long enough to grab a couple of things from the lab. Something about taking a look at Eddy's original algorithm and programming to help her with her own similar project.

"Oh, please let's not start this again." She pleaded. Bree sat down on the couch, giving her a look.

"Well, it's pretty obvious that he doesn't like us." She grumbled.

"It's not you guys that he doesn't like. It's the bionics he doesn't like." Jaden explained. "He doesn't like that civilians have these abilities."

"Not to mention, now that it's been revealed that bionics exist and can be created and given to people, it's only a matter of time before scientists in other countries figure out the secret to creating their own bionic soldiers." Calla pointed out. "He's got this idea that it could lead to a whole new kind of warfare."

"That's ridiculous." I snorted. Calla shrugged, looking at me.

"Not exactly. In the near future, maybe, but twenty, thirty years from now? It's not that hard imagine more armies just like Krane's, but bigger and more powerful." She replied with a shrug. "And my dad doesn't like that you guys were kept a secret for sixteen years."

"In short, he doesn't like bionics or secrets and doesn't like how involved either of us are, especially Calla." Jaden finished. "Look, it's not such a big deal. Just give him some time and he'll grow to like you."

"But-" I started, only to be interrupted.

"Guys, he's only in town for the weekend. Just deal with it until then." Calla sighed, pulling Eddy's schematics out of Mr. Davenport's desk on the main floor.

"How can he not like us?" I protested, frustrated. Everyone liked me! How could he not?

"I'm going to let you handle this." Jaden told Calla, following Bree down to the lab. My girlfriend sighed, dropped her stuff on the kitchen counter, and walked over to me.

"Chase." She said slowly, sounding bemused. "You need to let this go."

"But-" I began. She sighed in frustration.

"Why is it so important to you that he likes you?" She questioned.

"Why is it so important that the father of the girl I'd like to spend the rest of my life with doesn't completely hate me?" I countered, raising an eyebrow. Calla smiled lightly, taking my hand.

"Chase, my dad will come around. And even if he doesn't, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, alright?" She paused, waiting for me to reply.

"Alright." I sighed. She smiled.

"Good. Then I will see you tomorrow." She gave me a quick kiss, before jumping to her feet and grabbing her stuff, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

** Calla's POV **

"Party time!" Rebeccka screamed, diving off the pier and into the lake. The crowd around her laughed, following her lead. It wasn't long before the party was really hitting it off, the sun just starting to set when they started the bonfire. Even the few adult chaperones seemed to be enjoying themselves, laughing whenever one of former students did something particularly funny.

"I needed this." I sighed, dropping myself onto the sand next to Chase. "The sun, the bonfire…God, a break was just what I needed."

"Hey, I just needed an excuse to see you in a bikini." Chase joked playfully, rubbing circles on my bare back.

"Hey, my parents are up there." I murmured, despite the fact that I was leaning closer to him. He wrapped his arm around my waist, letting me lay my head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, but I'm sure they're not watching us this second." He replied, kissing me.

When he pulled away, we were both grinning. "So, are we bunking here at the cabins tonight? Together?"

"I don't know. Your parents are here, remember?" Chase countered. I gave him a look.

"Really?" I questioned. His smirk grew.

"Really."

"Calla." Chase let out a sigh as my dad walked over to us.

"Hi Daddy." I smiled at him, hoping he wasn't coming here to separate the two of us. He did glance at Chase's arm, rather low on my back, but didn't comment.

"Your phone's been ringing non-stop for ten minutes." He told me, handing me the device.

"Thanks Dad." I replied, watching him go. Chase frowned.

"You left your phone up in the cabin?" He asked. I nodded, taking a look at the Caller ID.

"I didn't want it to get wet." I replied before answering the phone. "Yeah?"

" _Calla, about damn time."_  Came an annoyed growl.

"Sorry Mr. Davenport – I didn't have my phone with me." I apologized.

" _And Adam, Bree, Chase, and Leo don't have their phones on them either?"_  He grumbled.

"We're at the lake – no one wanted their stuff to get wet. Why?" I demanded.

" _There was an explosion downtown at the Mission Creek Chemical Plant."_  Mr. Davenport informed me. My eyes widened. A chemical explosion there could cause major, major problems if it wasn't dealt with properly.  _"I need them to deal with it."_

"Yes sir." I pushed myself to a standing position, dragging Chase with me. "We'll handle it."

"What's going on?" Chase demanded the moment I hung up.

"Explosion at the chemical plant." I replied. "Find the guys, I'll work mission control."

"The lab's a twenty minute drive from here." Chase pointed out. I nodded.

"Which is exactly why I brought my laptop." I replied, pushing him towards the beach. "Now go."

"What about Rio and Kieran?" Chase called, already walking away.

"Don't get them involved. Not after last time." I replied, running towards the cabins. I jogged up the grassy hill, pushing past Deputies Jake and Carlos and entered the cabin.

"Calla, what are you doing?" Dad demanded, glancing up as I riffled through my bag. I didn't answer, instead pulling out my fully charged laptop and praying to God that there was some Wi-Fi around here.

"Calla!" My mom exclaimed as I flipped open my laptop, grinning as I found an open Wi-Fi source. "Calla Alexandria Parker, answer us."

"Mission Alert from Mr. Davenport." I replied, not looking up as I grabbed a headset from my bag, typing as fast as I could. "Explosion at the chemical plant."

"Explosion?" My dad repeated.

"It's when things go ka-boom." I snarked, a little too focused on my work to pay either parent much attention.

"I mean, shouldn't the fire department handle it? Or the Sherriff's office?" Dad questioned. I shook my head.

"A regular explosion, maybe, but this is a chemical one. Things could go wrong very easily. Adam, Bree, and Chase have been trained to handle things like this. Though if the police really want to help, you could set up a perimeter, keep people away from the facility. We don't want civilians getting involved."

"Good plan." Mom nodded, walking outside to talk to her deputies. Dad watched her go, shaking his head incredulously.

"Are we seriously letting teenagers take control here?" He called after her.

"Didn't you hear my speech yesterday? I'm a mature adult now." I retorted. I could feel his eyes boring down on me. "Relax Dad, we've done this a million times."

I gave him a reassuring smile, then looked back at my screen as I brought the security cameras at the plant onto my screen. Several had been taken out by the explosion, but a few were online. "Okay guys, what's your status? I don't see you on the cameras."

" _We just arrived."_  Chase assured me.

"Alright, everyone else check in. Make sure the comms are working." I ordered.

" _Checking in."_  Bree replied.

" _I'm here."_ That was Adam.

" _Alright, we're here. Let's do this."_  Leo urged.

"Calla…" My dad tried again. I let out a sigh.

"Dad, I get that you don't like the bionics program. But if you'd give it a chance, you'd see that they can actually do some pretty great things. Just watch." Giving him a harsh look, I turned back to the screen and the conversation I'd been having with the team. "Alright guys, here's the plan…"

** Chase's POV **

"Alright, we're done." I told Calla, raising my hand to my comm piece. The mission had gone relatively well. We managed to stop the fire caused by the explosion, move the rest of the explosive chemicals out of the danger zone, and managed to rescue the few workers that were caught inside.

" _Alright, head on home."_  Calla instructed, sounding pleased.

"What about the party?" Adam whined. I heard Calla let out a soft laugh.

" _Sorry Adam, it finished hours ago."_  She apologized.  _"Mr. Davenport says to head home. We're heading back to the Academy in the morning."_

"Alright. See you soon." I told her.

It wasn't far from the plant to the mansion, so we walked it. When we got back though, it wasn't just our friends and family waiting for us. Mr. Parker was also waiting, sitting on the couch.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" I asked, surprised. I glanced at Calla, but she merely shrugged, going back to her book.

"You know my thoughts on your bionics." He started. I nodded, crossing my arms.

"Yes, you made your opinion very clear." I agreed. Calla made an annoyed noise, not looking at me, but clearly telling me to be quiet.

"My daughter insisted that I should not make judgements without seeing one of your missions. So, I watched your last mission from her laptop." He continued.

"And?" Bree asked hesitantly.

"I still think that the idea of bionics could be dangerous in the wrong hands, but…" He sighed. "I do agree that you four seem to be doing a pretty good job."

"Thanks." I was actually kind of surprised. He held out his hand.

"Let's start over." He suggested. I smiled, shaking his hand.

"Agreed." I replied. Calla let out an audible sigh.

"About time." She grumbled, giving us both a hard glare. "I'm getting something to eat."

"Right." "Have fun." We replied. She rolled her eyes.

"Idiots." She muttered, walking back to the kitchen.

"By the way, if you ever hurt her…" Mr. Parker began.

"You'll kill me?" I guessed. He shook his head.

"No, I'm pretty sure she'll beat me to the punch."


	13. Spider Island

** Calla's POV **

"Hey Calla, what are you up to?" Leo asked, walking up to me. I was sitting at the counter in the main classroom, right in front of my laptop.

"Working on my new security system." I replied, not glancing up as I typed away furiously. "There's an error in the main programming – for whatever reason, every time I try to get it to activate an alarm, it just sends back the message 'Would you like some tacos?'. It's bizarre."

"Tacos? Sounds like something Adam would do." Leo commented, sitting next to me. I shrugged.

"That's what I was thinking, but it would take at least some brains to figure out how to get it to say the message, let alone replace one of its main functions with it." I shrugged. "I probably left it open and one of the school's geniuses decided to mess with me."

"Ah. You want some help?" Leo offered hopefully. "It's been ages since we've done something, just the two of us."

I smiled, acknowledging that what he said was true. Before all the Krane stuff went down, I used to spend every moment I wasn't with Chase with Leo. But since Krane, and the world finding out about the bionics, and the Academy opening, there just hadn't been time. But my computer project wasn't the only thing I was going to do today, and I wanted the other thing to be special, and Leo helping would not make it so.

"No, but thanks Leo. This is something I want to do on my own." I replied. He looked a little crestfallen. "But hey, I've got another day off in a couple of weeks. You sneak out of class and we'll head back to Mission Creek, see how much trouble we can get into before our moms find out, alright?"

"Yeah, okay." He still seemed a little crestfallen, but was quickly distracted when Douglas entered the room, speaking on the phone.

"Yes Donny; I'll take out the garbage…No Donny; I won't experiment on the kids' bionics while they're asleep again." He paused, then added, presumably to Leo. "It was one time and you didn't even notice."

I smirked, remembering why I was glad to be completely human. "Gotta go. Yes, I miss you too."

"They make it alright?" I asked, still focused on my laptop.

"Yeah, Donny and the students made it to Gettysburg for their first official field trip just fine." Douglas replied. I nodded, then continued to type.

"Bionic kids and cannonballs. What could possibly go wrong?" Leo commented. I chuckled.

"He should have only taken a few at a time. Maybe leave some of the more destructive kids like Bob and Spin back here." I commented.

"But then we'd be stuck with them." Leo gave me a look of mock horror, earning another laugh out of me, but a frown from Douglas.

"Wait a minute. You're a student, why didn't you go?" He questioned.

"Oh, Big D thinks I'm there. When he takes attendance, I've paid a kid five bucks to yell 'here!' and another kid ten bucks to yell 'shut it, Leo'."

Douglas nodded, amused by Leo's plan. Bree and Jaden chose that moment to walk into the room, the former carrying a couple of books in her hands. "Oh, hey guys." Leo ran over, grinning. "I ditched the field trip so I could hang out with you guys. What should we do on our day off?"

"Our day off?" Jaden repeated. "Nope. This is my and Bree's day off and we already got it all planned out."

"We're going sit by the pool and read a book." Bree replied cheerfully. "I'd invite you to hang out with us, but I live and work with my family, so I'm sick of all of you."

"You guys read together?" Leo wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I thought only Calla and Chase could do such nerdy things and try to make them romantic."

"Please." I scoffed, looking up. "We tried that. It sucked."

"Why?" Bree asked, frowning. I didn't answer, instead smiling as Chase entered the room.

"Hey, wanna hang out?" Leo asked, stopping him.

"Sorry Leo; I've gotta make the most of my day off. I already organized the weapons' vault, alkalized the island's water system and taught a cute little group of dolphins to wave hello. Next up, some light reading. Ooh!" He grabbed the book out of Bree's hands, scanned through it, absorbing every word in a matter of seconds, then closed it with a frown. "She ended up marrying the vampire? I did not see that coming!"

Bree snatched the book away, glaring at him while I sighed. "And this is why we can't read together."

Leo nodded in agreement, then turned around as Adam walk in, carrying a large rock slab in his arms.

"Oh, hey Adam." Leo greeted.

"No." Adam replied, pushing past him.

"But I haven't even asked you anything yet." Leo protested.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead." Adam offered.

"Thank you. Would you like to han-"

"No." Adam turned back to the rest of us, grinning. "Check out this rock I found on shore. I had to dig it out from under a wooden box of old yellow coins and jewellery."

Upon closer examination of the rock, there was clearly something inside. Chase and I exchanged grins upon realizing what it was.

"Adam, this isn't a rock. It's a fossil." Chase exclaimed, grinning. "Let me see that."

Chase tried to pull the fossil away, only for Adam to fight him about it. After a few pulls though, Chase finally managed to pull it away and place it on the table. "I wonder what type of animal it was…" I murmured. Chase smiled.

"Let's find out." He replied, scanning the object. He grinned, looking at it in awe. "This is a prehistoric sea spider! It went extinct millions of years ago."

"Cool." I muttered sarcastically, putting the desk between me and the rock. Extinct or not, it being a spider made me want nothing to do with it.

"Way to go, Chase. You made my rock boring." Adam complained, walking away.

"Cool! I love spiders!" Leo exclaimed. I stared at him.

"What is wrong with you? Why would you like those…those things!" I demanded, staring at him incredulously.

"Back in high school, they used to call me Spider Legs." Now everyone was staring at Leo. "And I'm now realizing that's a bad thing."

"I think it's from the cretaceous period." Douglas commented, analyzing the fossil.

"You're right, Douglas." Chase agreed. "It's from the valanginian subdivision. I would have loved to have seen this spider while it was a live."

"Well maybe you can." Douglas suggested. I raised my head, looking at his skeptically. "You know, before I got into bionics, I dabbled in biology. I was trying to use fossils to bring extinct species back to life."

"And that explains why there's still no Mrs. Douglas Davenport." Bree commented while I still stared at Douglas. He wasn't suggesting what I thought he was suggesting, was he?

"This specimen is almost perfectly preserved." Unfortunately, Chase was thinking along the same lines as me.

"You know, I was never able to crack it on my own. But maybe with your help I can." Douglas offered.

"I'm pretty sure you're not looking at me, but I am in." Leo offered.

"Let's do this, Douglas." Chase agreed. I shook my head, staring at them.

"Let me get this straight. You want to bring a prehistoric spider back from the dead?" I demanded. They nodded. "You realize how terrible of an idea that is, don't you?"

"Okay, give me one good reason why we shouldn't do this." Chase questioned, crossing his arms.

"Things are born, they live, then they die. They don't come back from the dead. It's called the natural order of things. This," I gestured at the rock, "goes against the natural order of things."

"Really? That's what you're going with?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Fine. It's a big-ass spider from prehistoric times and I don't want you guys bringing it back to life while I'm around." I admitted. He smirked. "Chase, please. You know how I feel about spiders. And if something goes wrong, the only adult here is Douglas."

"Hey!" Douglas protested, glaring at me.

"If you're going to do this, can you please do it in the actual lab instead of the Academy, preferably when I'm far, far away from it? Or at least with Mr. Davenport's input? Or even another responsible adult with some idea what they're doing?" I didn't need to mention how 95% of Douglas' inventions came back to bite us in the butt. Chase sighed.

"Fine. You're right. I'll wait." He promised me. I smiled.

"Thank you." I kissed him on the lips, then pulled away. "Now, if anyone needs me, I'll be on the beach, checking out that wooden box Adam mentioned."

** Chase's POV **

I watched Calla go, a little frustrated. I'd really wanted to check this spider out today.

"So, we're still going to do this, right?" Leo looked at me. I frowned.

"You didn't hear what Calla just said?" I asked, confused. By this point, even Bree and Jaden had left, having decided that they were bored.

"She said to do if far away from her. If she's on the beach, then the main training room IS far away from her." Douglas pointed out.

"I don't know…" They did have a point though. Calla's problem was obviously with the spider being around her, and if the spider wasn't around her, then there would be no problem.

"Look, she doesn't have to go anywhere near it. Ms. Arachnophobia doesn't even have to know about it. Besides, I'm a responsible adult and I know what I'm doing."

I sighed. He was right, and I was kinda annoyed that Calla would insist that we couldn't do it. It was our day off too, after all. "One condition – it stays locked up tight. If it escapes, I'm pretty sure Calla will kill me. And you. And possibly blow up the island in an attempt to get rid of it."

"Fair point." Douglas agreed, knowing that my girlfriend was fully capable of that. "Now, let's get to work."

** Xxx **

A few hours later and Douglas and I had turned the main exercise area in a home lab. "Got it." Douglas announced around the three hour mark, nodding to himself. Leo chose that moment to walk back into the room.

"Oh, you guys started without me. I must have missed the memo. Where're we at?" He asked. I bit back a sigh. As much as I liked hanging with Leo, we were trying to do some real work here.

"First we have to extract a sample of its DNA." Douglas said, ignoring Leo.

"Great. Then we can map out its genetic structure and recreate it exactly." I grinned.

"Or make it better." Douglas added. "There's a reason this spider went extinct. This time we can give it a better shot at survival. After all these years of killing things, I can finally help something live."

"Uh…" I looked at him hesitantly. It was one thing to bring it back to life, but to genetically alter it to improve survival chances? I wasn't sure how good an idea that was. But Douglas was sure that this was a good idea, so I figured I'd hear him out before I made my decision. "What do you have in mind? Elongating its coli sera?"

"Elongating the who to the what now?" Leo looked at me, confused.

"Maybe we can increase the strength of its carapace." Douglas suggested.

"Good idea." Leo agreed.

"Nah, to do that we'd have to alter the dimensions of its tricanter." I pointed out.

"Bad idea." Leo added.

"Right, to properly distribute the weight…"

"Yes, the weight." Leo added.

"Of its altered exoskeleton." I finished.

"It's exoskeleton of course." Leo agreed. At that point, we both looked at him, annoyed.

"You're just repeating everything we say." Douglas exclaimed.

"No, I'm testing you to see if you're both listening and you are." Leo replied. "Now can we please get back to our tree panthers and our carrot pizzas?"

We stared at him for a moment. "Leo, look. You're a great tech guy and all, but this is more of a biology thing."

"Are you icing me out?" He demanded, offended.

"Finally, something you do understand." I smirked. Leo gave me an offended look, clearly hurt. Then he smirked.

"Fine. But if I get revenge, it's your own fault." He declared before walking out. I frowned, confused as to what he meant, but soon forgot about it as I continued to work.

** Calla's POV **

I was flipping through a phone book, trying to find the right number to call when I heard footsteps behind me. I quickly shut my laptop's screen, pushing the phonebook behind me in an effort to hide what I was doing.

"Calla?" Leo raised an eyebrow at me, glancing at the massive yellow book I was unsuccessfully hiding behind my back. I sighed, relaxing a bit when I saw that he was alone.

"Oh, it's only you." I breathed in relief, glad my plans hadn't been ruined.

"Yeah, it's only me." Leo sounded a little offended. I smiled at him apologetically.

"Sorry. I thought you were Chase." I replied. He nodded.

"Actually, I was coming to talk to you about him. You want to know what he's doing right now? He's…" Leo broke off mid-sentence, frowning. "Wait, what are you trying to hide from Chase?"

I bit my lip nervously, glancing down the hall. "It's a surprise?" I looked at him hopefully.

"My lips are sealed. Now spill." Leo took the seat next to me. I grinned, showing him my computer screen. It showed the Mission Creek Observatory, along with some pictures of the night sky.

"There's supposed to be a full lunar eclipse the night of our anniversary, and I know how much he loves that kind of thing. So I pulled a few strings, got Davenport to give me an advance on my next two pay checks, and managed to rent the entire place out for us for the whole night."

"One of the benefits of working for famous rich people." Leo commented. I smiled.

"It's our second anniversary and considering how well the last one went…" Memories of men in suits and Krane flashed before my eyes, "I just wanted this one to be perfect, you know?"

"…yeah, I know." Leo agreed after a full minute. "I can't believe you've been together two years."

"Yeah." I smiled at the thought of many more anniversaries in the future. I glanced at Leo. "So what were you going to tell me? About Chase?"

"Um…" Leo looked at me for a moment, then sighed, shaking his head. "It's not important. Don't worry about it."

"Why?" I looked at him suspiciously.

"Just trust me. It's not all that important." He told me. I raised an eyebrow, not believing him.

"Alright." I relented, deciding to trust him this once.

"So, that bit about your project and the taco message, that was a trick?" He guessed. I shook my head.

"No, I did have to fix that. But it only took me a few minutes to find the line of code that needed changing." I replied shrugging. "So, did you want to hang out or something? I'm guessing you're here because everyone else told you to leave?"

"Pretty much." He admitted.

"Alright, fine. I just got that pool table installed." I nodded at the pool table near the back of my bedroom. "Wanna play?"

Before he could answer, he got a text. I recognized the text sound immediately, noting that it was the strange little chime Leo had picked for Chase. For whatever reason, he liked to have individual text alerts for us. "What's Chase want?"

"Um…nothing." Leo lied. It was so obvious that he was. Raising an eyebrow, I plucked the phone out of his hands, reading the text. Leo looked at me, mildly annoyed, but it wasn't as if he hadn't done the same thing to me a hundred times before.

** To: Leo + three others **

** From: Chase **

** You guys have got to come check this out! **

"Was everyone texted but me?" That was strange. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Leo tried to stop me from leaving. "Calla, if you go down there, it's going to piss you off."

At least the kid gave me a fair warning. "You have three seconds to tell me what is going on, Dooley."

"Calla…"

"One…Two…"

"Fine!" Leo exclaimed. "But for the record, Douglas and I kinda talked him into it, so…"

"Talked him into what?" I demanded, looking at him. He sighed, then told me the truth.

** Chase's POV **

"Chase!" I turned around to see a very angry looking Calla walking over to me, Leo following behind her. I didn't need to ask why she was angry – it was obvious what Leo had done.

"I can't believe you ratted me out." I glared at the younger boy. He raised his hands in a surrendering motion.

"Hey, she made me." He protested. I gave him a look.

"Really?" I demanded.

"Actually, he's telling the truth." Calla interrupted, crossing her arms. "Unlike you."

"Calla-" She didn't give me the chance to finish.

"You lied to me." She accused. Before I could protest, the others filed into the room.

"Lied to you about what?" Jaden asked. Calla glared at me when she answered.

"Ask him." She retorted, stepping back as Douglas brought the cloth covered cage into the room. Calla, though still obviously pissed, placed herself near the back of the group, Jaden hovering close by while giving me a confused look.

"Behold!" Douglas exclaimed, his hands held above the glass case dramatically. "One of the greatest achievements in the history of science."

With that note, he ripped off the cloth, revealing the spider. Calla let out a small shriek, falling backwards so that she was sitting on the edge of the hydroloop. She stared at the massive spider with wide eyes, not even daring to blink. She wasn't the only to respond negatively to its appearance either.

"Ah! Spider!" Adam screamed at the top of his lungs. "I'll get it!"

In one quick motion, he had his shoe off and lunge at the case. Jaden and I had to hold him back, shouting at him until he stopped.

"Douglas and I were able to extract the DNA from the fossil and reanimate the sea spider." I explained.

"Wait, so you brought a million year old creature back to life in only one day?" Jaden questioned. I grinned.

"What did you do with your day off?" I challenged.

"When you take a lot of shortcuts and conduct dangerous experiments without any safety precautions, you can do anything in a day." Douglas replied.

"Can you believe it?" I exclaimed.

"That you'd spend your whole day off hanging with your weird uncle and playing with a dead spider? Yeah I'd believe it."

"Calla?" I asked, noticing she hadn't spoken in a while. "What do you think?"

She didn't answer, instead staring at the spider with too wide eyes. "Baby?"

"Alright, that's enough." Jaden sighed, grabbing Calla by the arm and gently pulling her to her feet. "Let's go back to your quarters, alright Cee-Cee. I'll make you something to eat, okay?"

Jaden pushed his sister in front of him, placing himself between her and the spider while giving me a dirty look, silently saying something along the lines of 'You know better than to put her in the same room as a giant-ass spider. What is wrong with you?'

To be fair, I didn't think her phobia was that bad. Enough to make her scream on sight, sure. But enough to pretty much paralyze her with fear? I hadn't though about that.

"Well, I think it's safe to say she hates it." Leo offered, smirking. I glared at him, but Douglas ignored his comment.

"This is just the beginning. Think of all of the other extinct animals we can bring back to life. Dinosaurs, dodo birds-"

"Camels." Adam interrupted. We looked at him.

"Camels aren't extinct." I pointed out.

"Oh yeah?" He challenged. "Then why haven't I ever seen one?"

Leo looked at the spider again. "I kinda have to agree with Calla on this one though. That thing is nasty." He got close to the case, looking down at it with an excited grin on his face. "Can I touch it?"

"No!" Douglas retorted automatically.

"Oh, but you guys can tough it?" Leo demanded.

"Look, we can't risk anything happening to it. The spider's very existence can change everything." I explained.

"And make me famous around the world." Douglas added.

"And what about me?" I demanded.

"Oh I'm sure you'll end up on somebody's blog." Douglas assured me half-heartedly as he reached for the lid. He placed the lid on top of the case, locking it with his fingerprint. "That should keep our little friend safe."

"Well, I'm going to go somewhere quiet and enjoy my day off." Bree announced, walking away. Adam grinned.

"I'm going to go somewhere quiet and make noise." He declared. He followed Bree out the door, much to her annoyance. It was obvious that they'd been getting on each other's nerves all day.

"Hey Chase, we should go back to the mainland to grab a few things for the terrarium." Douglas told me. I hesitated.

"Give me a minute?" I asked, gesturing towards the stairs that led to the second floor. Understanding where I was getting, he nodded.

"Alright. I'll wait." He agreed.

** Xxx **

I knocked hesitantly on Calla's door, almost afraid of her answer.

"Yeah?" She replied. Yep, still pissed. I opened the door to see her sitting on her bed, a plate of what looked like smores sitting in front of her.

"You're mad." I observed. She didn't even look at me, instead totally focused on the food. "Calla, please talk to me."

"Yeah, I'm mad." She agreed after a moment, turning to glare at me. "You lied to me."

"That's not exactly what happ-" She cut me off.

"You told me you weren't going to do something, then turned around and did it." She told me. "Look, if you were going to do it anyway, you should have told me."

"You'd be pissed either way." I pointed out, frustrated.

"No." She replied. I raised an eyebrow. "I'd be frustrated and annoyed. And I'd probably lock myself in here all day, though that would have more to do with the spider than you. But I wouldn't be pissed off."

"Well, it's not like we're letting the spider anywhere near you. It's locked up, Calla. It can't get out." I assured her.

"That's not the point! You lied to me!" She practically shouted.

"I figured you'd totally freak out if I told you what I was going to do!" I argued. "God, you're completely overreacting!"

"You-" She broke off, biting her lip. "You know what up? Maybe you're right." I hadn't expected to hear that. "I'm still stressed out because there is a very, very big spider downstairs and I'm sure this will all go south in some way, so…let's both calm down, then finish this conversation later."

I studied her for a moment. Her shoulders were tense, she was biting down on her lip, and her hands were clenched. Signs that she was both angry and frustrated and nervous. "Alright." I agreed softly. "I'll uh, see you later then."

"Okay." She replied watching me leave. I sighed, then headed back down the stairs to head to the mainland with Douglas.

** Calla's POV **

"So, are you and Chase fighting?" Leo asked, looking at me guiltily. I shrugged, kicking my feet in the water. We were in the mentors' quarters, him on the couch, Bree in the arm chair, and me with my feet in the pool.

"I don't know. We're both just tense right now." I replied dully. "You were going to tell me, weren't you? When you walked in."

"Yeah, but I figured that it was better for everyone of you guys weren't fighting. Less tension, less shouting, less taking sides." He replied. I frowned.

"Neither of us have ever asked you guys to take sides." I told him, confused.

"Yeah, but it always happens anyway." He shrugged. "It's no big deal. You guys always seem to patch things up. I'm sure it'll all be over by tomorrow."

I didn't have a chance to reply before Adam walked in, grinning. He glanced at Bree, who was trying to read her book in peace, then grinned wider.

"Hey Leo, Calla. I have a question." He announced. "Is this annoying?"

He held up an air horn, letting it go off. "Yes, it's annoying!" Bree snapped.

"I'll tell you what's annoying! People who interrupt conversations!" Adam retorted before looking back at Leo and I.7 "Guys?" He used the air horn again.

I glanced at Bree, then at Leo. The two of us had the same smirk on our faces. "Let me hear it one more time." Leo requested. Adam used it again.

"Yeah, that's annoying." I agreed finally.

"Well then we might have a problem, because this thing is like candy to my ears." He turned on the air horn, smiling at the sound. Bree, meanwhile, was getting very, very annoyed.

"Adam, why do you keep pestering me?" She demanded.

"I'm not pestering you. I'm just trying to relax on my day off. This is my Zen." He turned on the air horn, letting it go for a long time.

"That's it!" Bree decided. She sped forward, pushing Adam to the edge of the pool. With a smirked, she pushed him in backwards. I let out a surprised laugh, ducking my head as I was splashed by the result waves. "Try to toot your little horn now."

Adam didn't answer, instead staying underwater and turning on his air horn. It was just loud enough that you could hear it through the water. Chase, Jaden and Douglas chose that moment to walk back in, both looking for Leo.

"You messed with our spider!" Douglas accused.

"You can't bring an extinct spider back to life and expect me not to play with it!" Leo retorted. "Besides, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is you didn't put the cover on right and it escaped!"

"It what?!" I demanded, eyes going wide and my knees unconsciously drawing closer to my chest.

"Relax, we'll find it." Jaden was quick to reassure me. Suddenly Adam let out a shout, crawling out of the pool.

"Adam? Are you alright?" I asked, concerned when I saw him lower himself onto a pool chair, groaning in pain.

"I don't know." He groaned. "Something bit me in the back while I was swimming in the pool."

"Oh no, I bet it was the spider." Douglas realized. I bit my lip, pushing myself as far away from the pool as I could, hoping it was gone.

"Well if it was, it's gone." Chase replied. Adam, meanwhile, still looked to be in a lot of pain.

"It really hurts. How's it look?" He turned around to show us his back. To our horror, there was a lump on his back the size of balloon.

Exchanging worried looks, we all stopped ourselves from screaming. "I'd better scan the wound." Chase decided, doing just that as I got to my feet. He gasped sharply, backing away from Adam. "Guys, his spider bite shows lethal levels of poison."

We looked at each other worriedly. This was not good.

** Chase's POV **

"He's burning up." Calla murmured worriedly, a hand on Adam's forehead. We'd managed to get him onto the couch a couple of minutes ago, but he seemed pretty out of it already, eyes closed and leaning into Calla's touch.

"I can not believe this is all because of a spider bite." Bree murmured.

"Spiders are evil." Calla mentioned, glancing at me.

"If we don't do something soon, he's gonna…" Douglas made the hand gesture of death, glancing down at Adam to make sure he didn't see.

"Chase…Chase? Where's Chase?" Adam moaned weakly, eyes fluttering open. I knelt down beside him, taking his hand.

"I'm here Adam." I assured him.

"There's something I have to tell you…" He said softly. "If I die…"

"We're not going to let that happen." I assured him.

"No, listen to me. If I die, I want you to know…even when I'm dead…"

"Adam…" I tried to stop him, but there was a lump in my throat preventing me from saying anything else.

"And just a pile of bones…" He continued as if I'd never spoken. I was fighting back tears at this point. "I'll still be taller than you."

All tears disappeared in that one moment as I jumped back. He laughed tiredly, obviously pleased with himself. "You should have seen the look on your faces. Wait, why do you have so many tiny faces?"

"And now he's hallucinating. Wonderful." Calla grumbled. Just to prove her point, Adam pointed in Leo's direction.

"I love what you've done to your hair, Bree." He commented.

"Shh, Adam. You can compliment my hair later." Bree told him gently. I sighed.

"I would never have brought that spider back had I known that it was poisonous." I commented.

"Why didn't you know it was poisonous?" Douglas questioned.

"Why didn't you?" I retorted. "You're the fossil expert."

"You're supposed to be the smartest man in the world!" He argued.

"Hey, stop! Blaming each other is not going to help Adam!" Bree shouted, stopping the argument. "Besides, I'm the one who pushed him in the pool."

"So it's your fault!" Douglas and I accused. Bree pointed at Leo.

"He let the spider out!" She pointed out.

"Hey, I'm not even here! I'm in Gettysburg!" Leo argued.

"Okay, that's enough!" Calla shouted. "Look, can we create an antidote? Like how hospitals create antidotes for snake bites?"

"Yeah, easily. But we need to find the spider first, extract some of its venom." I agreed. Calla nodded.

"Then get on with it." She gestured at the door.

"What are you going to do?" Leo demanded.

"I'm going to stay here and watch Adam. He shouldn't be left alone in this condition." While she did have a valid point, I was sure that she was just hiding from the spider. But she was right – it wasn't very smart to leave a delirious, hallucinating Adam on his own.

"Alright. Try to keep his fever down." She nodded. "Let's go." I decided, leading the rest of the group out the door.

** Xxx **

Almost half an hour later and we still couldn't find the spider. I was getting frustrated – Adam's time was running out and the spider shouldn't have been that hard to find. I was with Jaden, searching the halls while Leo and Bree were in the other classrooms and Douglas was checking the main training room.

"Chase!" Bree called, running over to us.

"Did you find it?" I demanded.

"No, did you?" Leo replied instantly. I looked at him.

"Why would I ask if you found it if I found it?" I demanded.

"I was being polite." He replied, sounding offended.

"At a time like this?" Jaden questioned.

"There is never a bad time for good manners." Leo replied. Douglas ran in then, carrying a mop as a weapon against the spider.

"Did you find it?" Jaden demanded.

"No, did you?" He replied. Leo gave us a smug look, but didn't comment.

"No we did not, but thank you for asking." He replied, smiling at Douglas.

"Okay, the spider could not have just disappeared." Bree commented. Suddenly, the entire island shook. "What was that?"

Confused, we ran to the window to see what was going on. What we saw horrified us. "Is that…"

The spider, which had previously stood about a foot high, was now at least thirty feet tall, crawling over the island. "I think we found the spider."

It lowered its face into the window, roaring hungrily. We screamed, running into the training area. "Okay, that spider did not look that big this morning!" Leo exclaimed, bewildered. "What happened?"

"I don't know." I shook my head, just as confused.

"Why is it so big?" Bree questioned.

"I don't know." I replied.

"Why don't you know?" Jaden demanded.

"I DON'T KNOW!" I shouted. We turned around to ask Douglas, only to see him slinking away guiltily. "Douglas!" I called him back.

"Okay, fine. Remember how you wanted to make the spider more resilient so it wouldn't go extinct again?" He asked.

"I remember you wanted to do that." I replied.

"And how we talked about giving it growth hormones?" He continued.

"And I said 'do not do that!'" I retorted angrily.

"Which could be interpreted many different ways." Douglas replied. I let out a frustrated sigh. "Well I didn't know it'd get this big!"

"Oh yeah! Who knew that growth hormones would make something grow?" I demanded sarcastically.

"You're just mad because I didn't save any for you." He retorted. I glared at him, more than a little offended.

"Below the belt, Douglas Below the belt." I warned. He sighed, then turned back to the desk.

"Okay guys, stop it. There is no need to kill each other. Although, that was a good one, Uncle Dougie." The building shook again, even more violently.

"If we don't stop that thing, it's going to destroy the entire Academy!" I exclaimed, trying and failing to come up with a plan.

"But the venom's no good to Adam if we extract it after the thing's dead. So, what are we just supposed to do? Milk a fifty foot spider?" Leo demanded.

Douglas grabbed a tranquilizer gun from the corner of the room. I decided to wait until later to ask why he had that. "We don't have to milk it. We can extract the spider's venom with this." He pushed a needle into the gun. "This should be sharp enough to puncture the venom sack."

"Check the security feed to see if it's still out there." I instructed Jaden. He nodded, going straight to the cameras.

"Crap. It's by the living quarters." He announced.

"Let's go. We need to get as close as we can to do this right." Douglas told us.

"So you want us to go right up to a giant, angry, deadly spider and poke it with a needle?" Leo questioned.

"Yep. And if we can do it before my brother returns, that would be great." Douglas replied, leading us back to our living quarters.

** Calla's POV **

I stared up at the massive spider leg in horror, glad that I was inside the living quarters and not outside. Adam was still on the couch, a wet cloth places over his forehead in a weak attempt to battle the raging fever. I flinched at the building shook once again, the spider climbing the walls.

"Calla? Are you guys okay?" I jumped at the sound of Jaden's voice, having not noticed as he and the others walked in, Douglas carrying a rifle.

"Uh…Adam's worse and the spider is thirty feet big, but aside from that, great." I let out a laugh that bordered between nervous and hysteric. "who gave it growth hormones? And why is it trying to attack us?"

"Douglas, and I think it's trying to eat us." Chase replied. Bree frowned.

"Why is it trying to eat us?" She demanded.

"Because we forgot to bring back its food source." Douglas replied as if it were obvious.

"We?" I repeated. "There is no we! You two did this! You two are terrible scientists!"

Douglas looked at me offended, but Chase didn't seem hurt, instead rubbing my shoulders gently. "She's just stressed. Don't take anything she says seriously until after the thing's dead." He told the group.

"Look, let's just kill this damn thing and get it over with!" Jaden exclaimed as Leo took the gun from Douglas. They all stepped outside while I stayed just inside the entrance. Leo raised the gun, trying to choose a good target on the spider's body.

"Leo, your aim is off." I commented.

"Calla's right. And if you miss, all you'll do is make it angrier." He didn't get a chance to say anything more before the spider knocked it clean off his feet and onto the patio. Leo raised the gun again, just for Chase to stop him.

"Leo, stop. Your angle is completely off." Chase told hi, trying to pull the harpoon away from him.

"Oh, I am not giving the harpoon to someone who started all this." Leo tried to pull it away.

"Again, you started all of this!" Chase retorted. They started playing tug-a-war with the harpoon, but by that point I'd had enough.

"Give me that!" I snapped, grabbing the gun out of their hands. I glanced at the spider, bit back the scream that was definitely on its way and stepped out from the mentor's quarters. It was just a spider. Just a single spider. No need to completely lose it.

"Calla?" Leo called uncertainly.

"My uncle John taught me and Jay how to shoot when we both turned twelve." I told them, trying to keep my breathing steady. The spider was right above me. "My aim's bound to be better than either of yours."

"You know, suddenly I feel sorry for the spider." Chase commented as I walked closer and closer to the spider. I could feel myself shaking slightly, but not enough that it would throw off my aim. Raising my gun, I took a deep breath, and after making sure I had chosen a good spot to shoot, I pulled the trigger. The sharp end of the harpoon buried itself in the spider's venom sack, causing it to explode on contact.

I ducked my head, letting out a disgusted shriek as I was covered head to toe in gooey spider venom. The spider fell, the injury too much for it, and landed in the water where it would surely sink to the bottom.

"Got it!" I called unnecessarily.

"Perfect." Douglas looked me over. "This should be more than enough venom!"

"You think?" I demanded, letting him take a sample.

"Are you alright?" Chase ran up to me.

"Well, I'm covered in the venom of a thirty foot spider. Not sure how much worse they can do to me…so I think I may be over my fear of spiders." I admitted. He grinned. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a shower. Someone create that antidote!"

** Chase's POV **

Half an hour later, the antidote had been created and administered. Adam was still passed out on the couch of our quarters, but he seemed to be doing better, so we let him rest. Calla was still a little upset with me for lying to her, but seemed to be in a better mood once all the spider goo had been washed away. I figured the longer I let her cool down, the less likely it would be that she would stay mad at me. Meanwhile, because we were still waiting for Adam to wake up, we ended up playing poker.

"You see, this is what I'm talking about." Leo mused as Douglas dealt out the latest hand. "Family bonding."

"Funny how it takes a giant killer spider going after a loved one to remind you what's really important." Bree agreed. "Sitting around with the people you see everyday."

"Too bad we had to destroy Spidey. I'm going to miss him." Leo mentioned. Calla gave the boy a look.

"You're nuts." She told him, glancing at her cards.

"On the bright side, we're the only people to make a species extinct twice." Douglas mentioned. We all grinned.

"Is it sad how proud we are of that?" Jaden asked, looking at us. I shrugged.

"Probably." I agreed just as Adam walked into the room.

"Adam, you look great." Bree smiled brightly.

"Thanks." Adam looked at her. "You look…like you always do."

"Okay then." Bree decided not to argue with it. I smiled.

"Wow, that antidote worked quickly." I mentioned, looking back at my cards.

"Then why does he still have a giant boil on his back?" Leo demanded, everyone, except the girls, getting to their feet. Sure enough, the massive lump was still poking out of Adam's back, clearly visible beneath his shirt.

"It's just excess fluid." Douglas assured us. "Should be gone in a few days."

Adam shrugged. "Or I could just pop it right now."

With that final word, he twisted his shoulders, popping the massive boil. The liquid exploded at us, covering everyone. Everyone, that is, except for Calla and Bree. The latter had protected herself with the plate we'd been using for snacks while the former just ducked under the table, only coming back up once she was sure there wouldn't be any chance of her getting covered in the goo.

"Ah, I feel better already!" Adam exclaimed while we gagged at the mess on us.

"So do we." Calla and Bree grinned. I let out a sigh.

"Well I'm going to go clean off. Calla can have my poker chips." I called over my shoulder, heading towards the showers.

** Xxx **

When I got back to my room, a towel wrapped around my waist, I discovered a certain brunette waiting for me. "Can we talk?" Calla asked, leaning back against the couch.

"Uh…" I glanced down at myself. "Can I put on some pants first?"

"Do you have to?" She asked, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. I rolled my eyes, confident that she was no longer completely pissed off at me, and stepped into my capsule. I climbed out a moment later, fully dressed. She gave me a pouty look, but patted the seat beside her, motioning for me to sit.

"I'm sorry I lied. I shouldn't have done that." I apologized immediately.

"I didn't give you the chance to explain yourself earlier. I should have done that." She said softly.

"There's nothing to explain. Leo and Douglas convinced me to do it after I promised you I wouldn't. That's on me. I'm sorry." I told her, pulling her into my side. She smiled softly, lying her head on my shoulder.

"Just…tell me next time? Especially if it involves spiders? I promise I won't get mad…" I gave her a look. "I promise I'll let you explain the situation before I get mad, and even then I won't be too angry at you. Better?"

"Better." I agreed, kissing her forehead. "By the way, how do you feel about me bringing a dinosaur back from extinction?"

Calla twisted around to look at me, obviously trying to see if I was serious. When she realized I was, she grinned. "Can I name it?"


	14. Spike VS Spikette

** Leo's POV **

"So anyway, I was thinking that if I lower the graphics, maybe it'll allow me to boost the speed of the program, but I'm not so sure I want to get rid of the graphics. They're already pretty simple, so why remove them? But I can't think of how else to speed it up." Calla was saying as Bree, Jaden, and I walked up to her and Chase. Adam was hanging around to, though he looked mostly bored with the conversation.

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked, looking at the two brainiacs. Calla shrugged.

"Well, a couple of months ago, I found some old blueprints of a program I designed years ago and I've been trying to make it work, but it's running too slow to be of any use and I'm trying to figure out how to speed it up." Calla explained. "As for him," she nodded at Chase, "he and Davenport are working on some top secret father-son project that they won't tell me about."

"Well, I did say it was a father/son project." Chase reminded her. She rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't mean you have to keep it a secret." She muttered, rolling her eyes. "By the way, you guys seen Kieran? I was going to head to the mainland on Tuesday and wanted to know if he wanted to come. So he can see Rebeccka and stuff."

"I think Douglas called all the students into the main classroom. Don't know why though." Bree shrugged. We exchanged glances, then headed towards the classroom.

Sure enough, Douglas was standing at one end, a line of students in front of him. Rio and Kieran were in the middle of the line, talking quietly about something while Spin and Bob were near the back, making jokes with the older students.

"Next!" Douglas called, moving the line forward. He scanned the neck of the next student, Joey, then sent him away.

"What's up Douglas? Doing a price check on bionic kids?" I asked. He didn't answer, but did send me a smirk before going back to his work.

"Ooh, I wonder how much I'm worth." Adam pondered.

"Well, we can sell you for parts and find out." Chase offered. Adam shrugged.

"Alright, well just don't sell the part that does this." He replied before punching Chase in the shoulder. Said boy leapt backwards with a cry of pain, glaring at his older brother.

"Douglas, seriously. What are you doing?" Jaden asked as we watched Douglas scan Kieran.

"I'm just cataloguing everyone's bionic abilities." Douglas replied, glancing at the scanner's screen.

"Cool, count me in." Adam replied, grinning at Rio as she got scanned.

"Adam, we already know what your abilities are." Bree pointed out. Adam grinned.

"Yeah, you got me. I just like standing in lines." He replied before starting towards the back of the line. Rio stopped him as he went, grabbing his hands with a grin.

"In addition to the bionics we know they have, Krane also gave them a lot of weird hidden abilities, like Kieran and Rio's telepathy. I'm just trying to get a grip on what we're dealing with."

"That's actually a pretty good idea." Calla mentioned. I nodded in agreement.

"Hey, what's that guy have?" Bree asked suddenly. I looked in the direction of her gaze and noticed one of the students, Daniel, with his hands outstretched. Both of them were glowing red.

"Check it out." Douglas grinned before pulling a frozen hamburger patty out of his bag. "Oh no!" He said loudly. "My lunch is undercooked. Oh, Thermo-Hands!"

Daniel walked over and Douglas slipped the hamburger patty onto his palms. Immediately, it began to sizzle and cook, especially when Daniel covered it with both his hands. When he let go, the burger was well done and Douglas took it back, slipping it onto two hamburger buns. "Why thank you." He nodded at Daniel before taking a bite of his lunch.

"Sweet ability dude!" Adam high-fived the kid, only to burn his hands at his touch. "Ow, hot, hot, hot!" He glared at the kid. "Hey, be careful with those. They're dangerous."

"Try it again." Bree encouraged. "I'm sure they've cooled down."

Adam gave her a look. "Oh no, I'm not falling for that." He grinned at Daniel. "I got her."

And then he high-fived the boy with the thermo-hands once again, deserving the burns he received. "Seriously?" He exclaimed, grimacing. Rio sighed, shaking her head.

"Let's go put that under some cool water." She declared, pulling him along. He stuck out his tongue at us as they went, clearly thinking that the fact that he had Rio taking care of him made him the winner. Which in a sense, I guess it did. Man, I wished that Janelle was here more.

"C'mon." Calla said, pulling at Chase's arm. "I'm hungry. Let's get ourselves some lunch."

"So long as Daniel didn't help cook it." Chase muttered, getting a light laugh out of his girlfriend. "You guys coming?"

"Yeah, sure." Bree agreed. I shook my head.

"Nah, I've got chips upstairs and a new video game to beat." I replied, heading back towards the mentor's quarters. The video game, the latest version of GTA, had been one of the few things Calla brought back with her from her last visit ashore. She and Jaden were the only ones, aside from Big D, who were allowed off the island on a regular basis and that was mainly for supply runs or to assure their mother that the island was perfectly safe (she didn't need to know about the unsafe parts, like the giant spider from last week or the explosives that nearly blew up the Academy more than once). But both Parker siblings had given us one rule when it came to bringing things back for us: it had to be light enough that they could carry it themselves. They didn't seem to be fans of the idea of lugging anything massive down from our house all the way to the hydroloop tunnel. So instead of being able to play with my fuse-ball table, I was stuck playing a bunch of boring video games I'd played a hundred times before. Oh well. It wasn't like it was a terrible game…

** Chase's POV **

"So, what are you guys planning on doing for your anniversary?" Jaden asked in between bites of his lunch. I shrugged.

"No idea." I lied. I did have certain plans that may or may not involve me borrowing Mr. Davenport's jet for the weekend, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I knew Calla had plans as well, so I was still trying to work the flight plan around them, so we could both do something special for the event. Considering how last year's went with the whole viral video and Krane thing, I wanted it to be perfect. But I also wanted it to be a surprise.

"Yeah, we were just going to wing it." Calla seemed to be playing along with the whole 'keep your surprise a secret' plan.

"You guys are pathetic." Bee commented, taking a bite of her hot dog.

"Hey Chase." Douglas walked into the cafeteria and headed straight for our table. "You are not going to believe this. Another student has the Commando App."

"What?" I exclaimed, shocked. "I thought I was the only one with that app."

"Yeah, you're not that special." Douglas retorted. I looked at the others to back me up, but they were unhelpful.

"Don't look at me." Bree smirked. "I've been trying to tell you that for years."

Jaden merely chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well, I mean…" Calla gave me a guilty look. "The odds of you being the only one with the ability were extremely low."

"Thanks guys." I muttered before looking back at Douglas. "So. Which one of these manly warriors is following in my footsteps?"

I had expected it to be one of Adam's favourite students, the ones with all the muscle. Instead, Douglas directed me to the a skinny, dark haired girl who was struggling to open a ketchup bottle at the back of the room. "Her." Douglas sounded almost proud.

"Kate?" Even Calla seemed surprised by that.

"Kate's the most timid girl in the whole Academy!" I protested. I would have said world, but I thought that might be a little mean. "I've seen her run from her own shadow."

"And that's the beauty of the Commando App." Douglas wasn't the slightest bit fazed by her lack of bravery. "The enemy is caught off guard by a non-threatening subject."

"But I have the Commando App." I pointed out.

"Yes, you do." Douglas replied, chuckling to himself in amusement. Judging by the looks on the others' faces, he wasn't the only one who found this amusing. "Look." Douglas continued. "I didn't want to scare Kate, so I told her she had a sonic scream ability instead. So until I find a way to remove the app, make sure nothing triggers it and sets off Spikette."

"Spikette?" Jaden repeated.

"Catchy, right?" Douglas chuckled. We all looked at him. "I like it and I'm keeping it."

With his head held high, he left the room. Jaden stood up, grabbing the dirty plates. "Well, I'm going to let you guys handle that."

"What? You don't want to hang out with Spikette?" Calla teased, attempting to take her plate back from his so she could help. Jaden held it out of her reach, insisting on doing the dishes. He never liked anyone else doing them – if anyone broke one of them, it would be up to him to replace it.

"Hell no. I still remember the football fiasco with Spike. Adios amigos!" He took the dirty dishes and headed back to his kitchen.

"Man, this is perfect." I looked at Calla and Bree. "I've never seen my Commando App in action before. If I can activate Spikette, maybe I can figure out a way to control it, which would help the both of us."

To my surprise, they both rejected the idea. "Uh-uh. No way." Bree shook her head. "You heard Douglas. He doesn't want us triggering a dangerous app."

"But I can-" I was cut off by two equally terrifying glares.

"No, Chase." Calla told me. "You haven't seen the Commando App in person, which means you haven't actually seen with your own eyes the damage Spike can do. And I'd be willing to bet that Spikette is just as bad."

"Besides, we're not here to experiment on the students. We're here to help them." Bree insisted before heading to help Jaden in the kitchen.

"Fine." I grumbled. Calla smirked.

"Look, if you want to see the Commando App in action so badly, I promise that the next time Spike makes an appearance, I'll video tape it and show it to your after, okay?" She gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "But seriusly, be nice to Kate. I'm trying to set her up with Leo."

"He has a girlfriend." I pointed out. Calla raised an eyebrow at that.

"Janelle?" She didn't even try to hide how much she disliked the girl. "Trust me, Leo could do much better. Now, if you excuse me, Kieran said that a new pod of dolphins are hanging around the island and you know how much I love dolphins."

"Yeah okay. I'll see you later." She smiled at me as she headed for the outdoor observatory deck that the students often used as a pool deck. I turned to go back to my room, maybe see if Leo would let me play video games with him, but stopped short when Kate suddenly appeared in front of me, the still unopened ketchup bottle in her hands and a hopeful smile on her face.

"Excuse me, Chase? Can you help me open this?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure." I took the bottle from her and was about to open it when I realized exactly what she said. "Wait. Did you just ask for my help?"

"Yes…" She nodded.

"So you want me to help you?" I confirmed.

"Uh-huh…" She was staring now, confused.

"Me, Chase, is going to help you, Kate?" One final confirmation. Just to make sure I'd have some sort of defence when Bree and Calla found out about this.

"Okay, maybe I should just ask someone else." Kate started to walk away, but I grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Oh no. You asked for my help and you're getting it. There's no turning back!" With that, I pulled her out into an empty classroom, my mind swirling with plans.

** Leo's POV **

"Hey Leo, mind if I play?" I glanced up as Jaden walked in the room. I nodded, handing him a controller.

"Why aren't you hanging with Bree?" I asked as I added him to the player roster.

"She and my sister are keeping an eye on Chase. Apparently, one of the students has a female version of Spike and they're afraid that Chase is going to mess with her to see her in action."

"Why?" I looked at him incredulously. Jaden shrugged.

"I have no idea." He admitted as Adam and Rio walked in.

"Hey guys! Do you want to play?" I called, stopping myself from starting the game before they answered.

"No, but would you like a snack?" Adam asked. I shook my head.

"No, I'm good." I replied, starting the game.

"How about a pillow to prop your feet?" Rio inquired

"No thanks."

"Okay, how about something to drink?" Rio insisted.

Why were they asking so many questions. "Nah-"

"Would you just say you want something?!" Adam exclaimed, cutting me off. Jaden and I both stared at him.

"Well I would like a tomato juice." Jaden said, looking at Adam like he was a crazy person. Which he occasionally was.

"Water it is." Adam decided. Jaden and I exchanged looks, then followed looked towards where the couple was facing. A small helicopter drone flew in from the patio by the pool, a bottle of water being held below it. We both stood up, Jaden reaching for the bottle.

"So, what do you think?" Adam grinned at us happily.

"We call it Drone Delivery Service." Rio beamed.

"Also known as Delivery Service by Drone, also known as Service by Delivery Drone, also known-"

"Sweetie, I think they've got it." Rio told him, patting his arm.

"Where did you guys get this?" Jaden asked, looking at the drone curiously.

"Amazon." Adam replied. "You can get anything on there."

"You know what we could do with this drone?" I demanded, looking at them excitedly.

"I'm one step ahead of you. But who do we know at NASA and where can we get a ferret?" Adam asked.

"Well I'm sure Mr. Davenport has at least one NASA contact and my aunt has a ferret." Jaden replied. I looked at him. "What? I'm curious to see where he's going with this one."

I shook my head at them, then looked back at Adam. "We can send the drone to our house and have it bring some of our favourite stuff here. You know, the stuff that Calla and Jaden refuse to bring for us."

"I'm sorry Leo, but some of your requests are difficult to manage. Either they're too heavy, or impossible to bring because of something else."

"But we could get my fish tank." I thought about it.

"My bike." Adam grinned.

"My vanity dresser." I added. Everyone stared at me. "You know, where I keep all my tools and boxing gloves and other assorted gentlemen-ly things."

"Like your dolls." Adam pointed out.

"They're not dolls, they're action figures. And if sometimes I like to comb their hair before battle, that's my problem!"

"…Okay." Jaden was still looking at me.

"Should we get Bree and Chase involved and see if they want us to get them something?" Rio asked thoughtfully.

"Nah, I think they're a little busy." Jaden told her.

** Chase's POV **

Three hours later, I couldn't get any more frustrated than I was. Three hours of me trying to piss Kate off and I couldn't do it!

"What does it take to activate this app?!" I demanded. "We've tried fear, intimidation…"

"Embarrassment." Kate finished. I glanced at her, still wondering why Adam had a girl's clown costume just lying around. "I don't mean to be rude, but how is this helping me open a bottle of ketchup?"

"Oh, ketchup! You're still one that?!" I demanded, glaring at her. I knew that it wasn't her fault that the app wasn't activating, but I was still furious. "This is a life lesson! Use mustard!"

She looked at me, a little fear in her eyes. "Okay. I'll go find some!" I didn't try and stop her from fleeing this time, knowing that calming down would make this a lot easier.

"Chase!" Adam called, walking over to me. "I need the basement key card. I'm having a fuse ball table delivered, so to make room, I'm putting your capsule in the trash."

"Can't you see that I'm busy?" I snapped.

"So am I. I'm trying to throw out something you need to survive." He replied. "Give me the key card."

Without waiting for a reply, Adam lifted me into the air, shaking me as if the key card would fall out. Despite my annoyed protests, he wouldn't put me down.

"Got it." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kate walk back into the room holding a bottle of mustard. Suddenly, she started twitching slightly, eyes on us.

"Hey, wait!" This time, Adam did stop. "She's responding! Keep hurting me!"

"Good for you Chase." Adam grinned proudly. "Finally learning to accept it."

He started jostling me more, throwing me up and down. All of a sudden, there was an angry scream as Kate ripped off the clown costume. "DROP THE BOY CHILD BEFORE I PULL YOUR TONSILS OUT OF YOUR NOSE!"

Adam dropped me to the ground, staring at Kate as she growled at him. "What is that?" He asked, sounding almost afraid.

"Adam! You did it!" I exclaimed, getting to my feet. "That is Spikette!"

"Really? Huh. This whole time I've been calling her Janet." He mused.

Apparently, Spikette didn't like being called Janet, because moments later she attacked Adam, throwing him across the room into the hydroloop. I stared at the scene in amazement. "Whoa! I had no idea the Command App was so-"

Kate came at me next, but instead of attacking me, she forced to lie down in my arms. "Shh, baby good now." She said, petting me.

Okay, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Thank God Calla didn't see any of this.

"Chase?" Oops, spoke too soon.

** Calla's POV **

"What was that noise?" Kieran questioned as we ran down the hall way. We had just been coming back inside from swimming with the dolphins when we heard a loud roar and a bang. I had my suspicions as to what it was, but didn't want to jinx it by saying it aloud. So Kieran and I ran towards the source of the noise, only to come face to face with a very interesting sight.

Chase, my boyfriend, was lying on a bench with Kate holding him in her arms and petting him. "What the…" Kieran stared on in shock, just as confused as I was.

"Chase?" I called, looking at him for an explanation. He gave me a terrified look and mouthed the words 'Help me'. I raised an eyebrow at that, then started towards them. "Hey Kate? You want to tell me what you think you're doing with my boyfriend?"

"BACK AWAY FROM BABY!" She snarled, forcing me to back up.

"Okay. Yes m'am." I replied, going straight back to Kieran's side.

"Okay, what's wrong with Kate?" He asked.

"Oh, she's not Kate right now. She's Spikette." I replied. Kieran looked confused, so I elaborated. "She has a Commando App."

"What, really?" Kieran looked shocked. "But she's so sweet."

"That's kinda the point." I replied, watching as Spikette clung to Chase tighter.

"Who triggered it?" Kieran asked.

"Take a guess." I grumbled, a little frustrated with Chase. Seriously? We told him it was a bad idea. I sat down on the steps across from them, watching them.

"Calla?" Chase called. I waved at him, crossing my legs to show that I had no intention of moving from this spot.

"Nu-uh. You made the mess, you clean it up." I replied. Kieran knelt down next to me, watching Spikette warily.

"We're seriously not going to help him?" He asked.

"Hey, if you're going to play with fire, you deserve to get burnt." I replied. Kieran twisted around so that he was leaning against the wall, still watching Spikette and Chase.

"And if she starts terrorizing the students?" He asked, pointing at his watch. The classes that Mr. Davenport and Douglas were teaching would let out soon, filling the halls with students.

"Then I suppose, if that happens, we'll have to step in." I relented. "But until then, let's see if Chase has any bright ideas to get himself out of this one."

** Leo's POV **

"Damn you're good at this." I complained as Rio scored yet another point against me. In a few hours time, most of our stuff had been brought to the island, including my jukebox, my air hockey table, Adam's Dingo head from that time he got to be the school's mascot and forgot to return it, and a fuse ball table.

"Hey guys?" Adam walked in, looking a little upset. "What would you say if I told you I just got beat up by a ninety-pound girl?"

"You want a snack to make you feel better?" Rio offered.

"Welcome to the club?" I replied.

"Did you piss of my sister?" Jaden asked from his spot on the couch.

"Yes to Rio, no to Jaden." Adam replied. Rio grinned, tossing him a bag of chips.

"Hey, I see our stuff has arrived." He grinned, his mind off whatever happened with the ninety pound girl.

"Yeah. Everything's mostly set up, but the trampoline won't fit in through the door, so you're just going to have to use your heat vision to put a hole in the roof." I replied.

"Leo, don't be ridiculous." Adam shook his head. "Go get a ladder and I'll just punch a hole."

"Or," Jaden looked at us, "we could leave it on the patio and use it to jump into the ocean whenever we want."

"See that is smart thinking!" I commended. Rio sighed, leaning against the fuse ball table.

"I totally get why Calla and Bree get so annoyed with you guys." She muttered just as the sound of the drone filled the air.

"Finally!" Jaden exclaimed, getting to his feet. "I sent that thing for pizza an hour ago!"

But when the drone finally arrived, it had more than just pizza. Hanging from the box was a short, dark-skinned boy that looked to be just a little older than Spin.

"Woo-hoo!" The boy called, dropping to the floor with a grin. We all exchanged glanced, shocked. "Whoa! That was awesome!"

"Wha…how…" I looked at Adam, Rio, and Jaden. "Did we just steal a kid from the mainland?"

"No." Adam picked up the drone's remote and pushed it into Jaden's hands. "Jaden just stole a kid from the mainland!"

"What have you done?" I demanded, playing along. Jaden's mom was chief of police in Mission Creek – he'd get in the least trouble for this. "Look, we need to get him out of here before he realizes where he is and who we are."

"This is the Bionic Academy! And you're Adam Davenport and Leo Dooley, the bionic heroes!"

"He knows, he knows!" I cried. Jaden grinned.

"Well he doesn't know who Rio and I are, so that's a good thing. For us." He added with a smirk.

"I want to see every inch of this place!" The mystery kid exclaimed, running towards the capsules.

"No, sorry. That's not going to happen." I snapped, pulling him away.

"Oh, yes it is." The kid retorted.

"Excuse me?" I questioned. He gave me a smirk.

"I'm a sweet, lovable kid whose parents are probably wondering where he is and I'd hate to have to tell them that four bionic heroes drone-napped me."

"Technically, it's three bionic heroes. I'm human." Jaden pointed out. We all looked at him. "Dude, I will play every card I have to avoid getting in trouble for this."

"We did not drone-nap you! It was an accident!" I protested. "Now it's time for you to go!"

"Did I mention my dad's chief of police?" The kid mentioned. Jaden looked at him.

"Uh, no he's not. My mother is chief of police in Mission Creek." He argued.

"Yeah, in Mission Creek." The kid agreed. "My dad's chief of police for Welkerville."

"Oh." That shut us all up. "Welcome to our home."

"Whoa, your dad is chief of police?" Adam confirmed. The boy, whose name we still did not know, nodded. Adam looked at me. "Do you think that if I give him back his son, he'll fix the parking ticket Officer Parker gave me?"

"Why'd my mom give you a parking ticket?" Jaden asked, confused.

"Apparently, you're not supposed to park on a parkway. Which is still pretty stupid. Why would they call it a parkway if you're not supposed to park on it?" Adam questioned.

** Chase's POV **

It took Spikette ten minutes after Calla's arrival to go on a full blown rampage. By that point, things were too out of control for her or Kieran to do anything but hide behind the barrier with me.

"Guys, what's going on?" Bree demanded, suddenly appearing next to us. She must have heard the noise of Spikette terrorizing the students and come running. Before I could answer, she gave me a look. "You activated Kate's Commando App, didn't you?"

"He totally did." "What? No!" Calla and I answered at the same time. I gave my girlfriend a glare, though Bree would have figured out I was lying a second later when Spikette chased one of the students, Aaron, out of the room with a chair in her hands.

"Okay, technically, I didn't activate the app. Adam did when he attacked me." I defended myself.

"Wait, what?" Bree frowned. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would her Commando App kick in if you were the one getting attacked?"

"My theory is that it was triggered by some kind of momma bear instinct. I mean, the only time I've ever really seen Kate stand up to anyone is when she saw some of the older students picking on Spin for his size." Calla shrugged. "But it's glitching like crazy."

"How?" Bree frowned.

"One minute she's trying to baby me, then next she's trying to destroy everything in sight." I explained, ducking as the chair went flying at us. It smashed into the wall behind us, breaking into pieces as Spikette continued to destroy things.

"What were you thinking?" Bree demanded, hitting me in the arm.

"We already established that he clearly wasn't." Calla told her. I sent her a glare, which Kieran noticed.

"Okay, Chase made a stupid mistake. We got it." He told both girls. "Let's just calm Spikette down okay? Before she destroys the Academy?"

At least Kieran was on my side. A moment later, though, all three of them were being pushed away from me. "Stay away from Baby." Spikette growled.

"Uh, you don't get to tell me to stay away from my boyfriend, honey. So back off." Calla challenged. Clearly, she didn't like that Spikette was calling me 'baby'.

"What did you say?" Spikette growled menacingly.

"Nothing. She said nothing." Kieran pulled Calla back before she could start something with the one person here who would literally rip her to pieces. Spikette seemed satisfied and ran off again, giving me the chance to talk to them again.

"I don't get it. My Commando App would have shut down ages ago. But Kate's adrenaline levels are going through the roof." I exclaimed.

"Then just shut her down." Bree stated the obvious.

"Oh, that's a great idea. I hadn't thought of that." I gave her a look. "I can't! I don't know how!"

"Maybe we can just contain her in here until her adrenaline drops?" Kieran suggested. We looked over to see Spikette rip a massive, four foot wide column out of the ground. "Or not."

Spikette walked over to us, carrying the massive column. "Baby want toy?" She asked, a crazed look in her eyes.

"You know, for a maniac, her maternal instincts are dead on." I admitted.

** Calla's POV **

By the time Douglas finally showed up to help, Spikette had moved on from the classroom to the cafeteria. At least Jaden wasn't here to see this – he would blow a gasket. Currently, we were all hiding behind tables. Bree and Kieran on the left with Douglas, Chase, and I on the right.

"So you turned Kate into Spikette even though I told you not to?" Douglas demanded. "You know, I try to be the fun uncle, but you people make it so hard."

"I'm sorry!" Chase apologized, sounding annoyed at having to apologize so many times. "I wanted to observe the Commando App. Now that I have, my scientific conclusion is…I'm scared." He ducked a little lower behind the table. I rubbed his arm gently, giving him a sympathetic look. While we were all pretty terrified, the rest of us had sorta gotten used to the Commando App's power. But it was Chase's first time seeing the destruction and pure rage in person.

Meanwhile, Spikette was busy devouring an entire chicken by herself. "Oh look. She's taking a snack break before she destroys the rest of the Academy." Bree laughed fearfully.

"No fork, no plate, where are her manners?" Douglas sounded disgusted.

"You grilled your lunch on a kid's dirty hands." Kieran pointed out.

"In the name of science!" Douglas actually seemed pretty offended by our disgust. We all stared at him, but he went right back to the matter at hand. He pulled out a device as he spoke. "The only way to stop the app is to manually override the chip, so first we have to-"

"Get the chip. I'm on it." Chase replied, leaving the safety of the table. I glanced at the device in Douglas' hands and sighed.

"When do you think he's going to realize that he forgot the chip extractor?" I questioned. Douglas shrugged and we watched as Chase cautiously approached Spikette. Said maniac practically lit up upon seeing him.

"Momma chewed food. Open your mouth!" Spikette grabbed Chase's jaw, forcing it open in an attempt to feed him like a mother bird would her young. Bree, Kieran and I were disgusted by the act, but Douglas seemed pretty amused.

"Baby good! Baby good!" Chase exclaimed, pulling away. Chase hesitated, then looked at Douglas and I. "Wait! The chip extractor!"

"Catch!" I called, tossing it at him. Spikette grabbed it before he could, breaking it with a glower sent in my direction.

"Not safe for Baby!" She growled. Chase took the opportunity to rejoin us behind the table.

"Great! Now what are we going to do?" Bree demanded.

"I don't know, but so far panicking and hiding behind things is working for me." Chase declared.

"Until she destroys everything we can hide behind." Kieran mentioned. Chase glared at him.

"Really dude? Did you have to point that out?" He demanded. Kieran shrugged.

"We're going to have to use physical force to restrain her." Douglas announced.

"How? She beat up Adam!" Kieran reminded everyone. "If you know anyone stronger than him, speak up now."

"Spike." Douglas and I came to the conclusion at the same time.

"Oh no." Chase shook his head. "You can't turn me into Spike."

I stopped, knowing how much he hated his own Commando App. Hell, he didn't just hate it, he was almost afraid of it. But he once told me that it wasn't the not being in control of his anger that bothered him the most. It was the waking up in strange places with no memory of the previous few hours that did. Despite the bad situation, despite the fact that he did exactly that to Kate, I wouldn't force him to do that. "You're right." I agreed, much to obvious relief. "I can't force you to become Spike."

"But I can." Bree sped off with a mischievous grin, taking Chase with her. Douglas, Kieran, and I exchanged looks.

"Should we follow them?" I asked. Kieran nodded.

"We'd better." He agreed. The three of us ran into the other classroom, not bothering to check if Spikette was following. When we found them, I was surprised that Bree had gone all out in her attempts to bring out Spike. Chase was standing in the middle of a group of students, wearing nothing but a bib, a diaper, and a baby bonnet. "Oh my god."

"What are you chuckle-nuggets laughing at?" Spike demanded, spitting out the pacifier that Bree had forced into his mouth. "Never seen a grown man in a diaper before?"

"Awesome. Can't believe that worked." Douglas smirked. Kieran glanced at me.

"Am I the only one who realizes that even if Spike can subdue Spikette, we'll still have Spike to deal with after?" He pointed out.

"One problem at a time, K-Dog." I replied. As much as I hated that Chase was forced into this, now that Spike was out, we might as well finish the job. Spikette came running out seconds later, looking for her baby.

"Baby? Baby!" Spikette laughed gleefully, clapping her hands in joy to see him in a diaper.

"Oh, I'm no baby!" Spike retorted. "I'm a man sandwich, served with a tall glass of macho."

"Well are you man enough to take her down?" I challenged, taking a step forward. I learned from past experience that even as Spike, he wouldn't hurt me. Ever.

"Sorry kitten, no can do." He replied. "She's a lady, and Spike always respects a lady."

"This," Douglas jumped out, pointing at Spikette, "is not a lady!"

"Hey, who're you calling not a lady?" Spikette demanded, pushing Douglas to the ground with a growl. Spike laughed, high-fiving the girl.

"Be right back!" Spike growled in that gravelly voice of his. "Spike feels underdressed for this particular occasion."

With that, Spike walked away, heading to find some clothes. "So, kitten," Kieran's smirk grew when I glared at him, "any other ideas?"

"Working on it." I replied, trying to think of something.

** Leo's POV **

"This is awesome!" The kid, who introduced himself as Reggie, exclaimed as he and Adam walked back into the room where Rio, Jaden, and I were waiting. "Are you sure it's cool if I keep all these weapons?"

"Of course. Every ten year old should have a rocket launcher." Adam replied.

"Uh no. I'm sorry, but you can't keep those." Rio pried the weapons from his hands. "Adam, I thought we discussed this. You're not allowed to give children deadly weapons anymore."

"And I thought you were going to convince him to go home." I hissed.

"I tried. But he's very persuasive." Adam insisted. "I told him he had to go, he said he didn't want to. And it doesn't really matter – now that I've gotten to know him, he's actually pretty cool."

"No, he's annoying and he's going home." Jaden argued. Adam gasped, pulling Reggie close to him.

"How dare you say that about my friend?" He demanded. "You know, just for that, you're not eating with us."

The drone suddenly appeared, carrying Chinese food. It dropped the boxes into Adam's waiting hands. "Dumplings?" Adam offered them to Reggie.

"Don't mind if I do." The boy replied, taking the box and sitting down on the couch.

"Okay, that is it! Both of you are going back to the mainland!" I declared.

"Leo…" Rio warned.

"No, I'm serious!" I retorted.

"Adam," Reggie looked at my brother, "I can't eat with all this racket."

"Leo, do you mind?" Adam asked, motioning for me to leave. Offended, I headed out into the hallway where Jaden and I proceeded to try and come up with another plan.

** Calla's POV **

Originally, we had thought that two active Commando Apps would calm the other down. Instead, it seemed to make things worse. "I don't get it!" Bree exclaimed as another chair was shattered by the destructive duo. "She's supposed to be winding down, not getting stronger."

"It's a glitch in the app." Douglas explained. "If her Commando App keeps going, her chip's going to burn up and melt her brain. And I am not cleaning that up!"

"I can not believe Chase!" Bree exclaimed. I nodded.

"I know. If I was Spike, I'd be showing that girl who's the boss." I agreed.

"You can't, but maybe Bree and Kieran can." Douglas exclaimed. We all looked at him. "If Spike won't hit a lady, then maybe one of you guys-"

"No way." "Not happening." Both bionics refused.

"C'mon. It's a new version that I can shut down as soon as you're done. And I'll remove the app along with Kate's." Douglas insisted. "All you need to do is subdue Spikette long enough for me to extract her chip."

"Not happening." Kieran shook his head.

"Kieran's right. There's no way I'm going to agree to this." Bree added.

"Did I mention you'll be able to tear Chase apart?" Douglas asked.

"Now you're talking! Let's do this, Dougy!" Bree exclaimed.

"I'm good, thanks." Kieran remained adamant not to have a Commando App, despite Douglas' offer.

** Leo's POV **

Ugh! That kid still wasn't gone! But at least Adam saved Chinese food for the rest of us.

"You will meet a new friend." Adam read his fortune cookie, then grinned at Reggie.

"You will meet a new friend." Reggie read his own, exchanging grins with Adam.

"You are dating a moron." Rio read hers, frowning. "Wow, these are really specific."

"I'm being held captive in a Chinese fortune cookie factory. Send help." Jaden read from his. He shrugged. "Not really. Mine's stupid."

"What about yours, Leo?" Adam asked. I glared at him, grabbed a cookie, broke it in two, then pretended to read off the paper.

"You will get arrested because your brother is an idiot." I announced. Adam shrugged, but Reggie knew I was lying about what it said.

"This is about the dumplings, isn't it?" He guessed. I glared at him.

"This has gone on long enough!" I exclaimed, getting to my feet. "Either he goes home, or I call Big D."

"Leo, would you relax?" Adam told me. "You're just jealous because I'm his favourite."

"Actually, Chase is my favourite." Reggie didn't realize it, but he'd just said the only five words that could get Adam to betray him. And betray him he did.

"Okay, this kid's got to go." He agreed.

** Calla's POV **

"Okay." Douglas announced after a few minutes of trying to get Bree's new Commando App online. Kieran was standing in the hallway, redirecting passing students to a different direction so that they wouldn't get involved and I was keeping an eye on Douglas' screen, trying to see the exact programming for the Commando App. I wanted to know how it works so that maybe, just maybe, we could permanently prevent Spike from rearing his ugly face again. "Your Commando App should be…good to go."

"It's not working." Bree replied, turning around with a hand on her temple. "You obviously did something wrong because…" he froze, then spun around, glowering at Douglas. "…I WANT TO TEAR YOUR HEAD OFF!"

"Hello Spikerella!" Douglas exclaimed. "Now that's catchy."

"No, it's not. See, this is why we don't let you name things." I pointed out. "Now, c'mon Spikerella. Let me show you someone you can tear the head off."

I directed her into the main training area where Spike and Spikette were getting along smashingly.

"HEY!" Spikerella shouted, walking in. Kieran, Douglas, and I waited by the door, all of us wishing we had popcorn for what was surely going to be an entertaining fight.

"Who the heck are you?" Spikette demanded.

"Your worst nightmare." Spikerella growled back as the two girls started to circle each other. Spike leaned back against a wall, amused.

"This should be good." He smirked. "Everyone knows girls can't fight."

"Excuse me." Spikette, Spikerella and I all said at the same time. Well, Spike just got himself into a truck load of trouble.

"I said girls can't-" Spikerella didn't let him finish the sentence, instead cutting him off by throwing him into the wall next to us.

"Who's the girl now?" She challenged. Spike pushed himself away from the wall, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"You shouldn't have said that." I mentioned, examining my fingernails.

"Kitten should stay out of this." He growled. I shrugged and glanced at the girls. They were circling each other again, ready to pounce.

"Seriously, why does he call you 'kitten' when he's Spike?" Kieran asked. I shrugged.

"No idea. It started when we were in the middle of this big fight and Spike just never stopped and I kinda like it, so I'm not going to tell him to stop either." I smirked. So did Kieran.

"Wait, since you call me K-Dog, does that mean I get to call you C-Cat or C-Kitten?" He asked jokingly. I gave him a serious look.

"You do that and it will be the last thing you ever say." I warned him.

** Leo's POV **

"Alright, the drone's ready to go." I announced as Jaden and I headed back into the mentors' quarters. Adam and Rio were waiting for us.

"The coordinates are all set." Rio informed us.

"Alright, time to go Reggie." Jaden announced, turning around to speak to the boy. The boy who was currently not in the room! "Reggie?"

"Where is he?" Adam asked, confused.

"He's gone!" I realized. The little sneak must have left while Adam and Rio were programming the coordinates in.

"Great, problem solved!" Adam grinned. Rio just looked at him and shook her head slowly, making sure she got her point across. Then we raced for door, determined to find Reggie before he got into any trouble.

** Calla's POV **

To our great disappointment, Spikette and Spikerella were throwing more insults that punches. But that wouldn't last for long.

"Nice hair!" Spikette called. "Can't wait to rip it out and use it as a scarf!"

"Go ahead!" Spikerella retorted. "Then I'll shave your back and make some matching mittens!"

That must have really pissed Spikette off as she took that moment to leap at Spikerella, fists flying. Spikerella blocked the blow, but Spikette forced both her arms behind her back. They turned to fight some more, but stopped when a ten year old boy walked into the room.

"Who's that?" Douglas asked. I shrugged.

"No idea." I replied.

"Whoa!" The kid grinned. "What's going on here?"

Big mistake. Spikette pushed Spikerella away, looking like a kid at Christmas. "New baby!" She cooed.

"I'm not a baby!" The kid retorted.

"Baby cranky! Must be hungry!" Spikette decided, running over and grabbed her unfinished chicken. Before I could see what she was going to do with it, Adam, Jaden, Leo, and Rio ran in.

"There you are!" Leo sighed upon seeing the boy. "You're out of here, Reggie."

"I told you, I'm not going anywhere." Reggie replied. Spikette chose that moment to share her lunch with him, the same way she tried to share it with Chase earlier.

"What's going on?" Jaden demanded, pulling me aside.

"Oh, um, Chase turned Kate into Spikette, then Bree turned Chase into Spike, then Douglas and I turned Bree into Spikerella and we're trying to see who destroys each other first." I replied in a falsely-cheerful voice. "What's with the kid?"

"Oh that's Reggie, a kid we accidently kidnapped." Jaden replied in the same tone.

"Good to know." I nodded as we rejoined the group. Reggie spit out Spikette's lunch, almost crying in misery.

"Get me out of here!" He cried. Douglas stared at the kid.

"What is going on?" He demanded.

"Long story short, Jaden's going to jail." Adam announced. Douglas and Kieran both looked at my brother, who merely shrugged. I figured that if he was this calm about it, he must have had a good explanation to tell the police.

"Help me!" Reggie cried, writhing in Spikette's grasp.

"Oh, so now you're ready to go?" Leo questioned.

"YES!" Reggie was practically begging now.

Leo stood there, observing him for a minute, then snapped his fingers at Adam. "Grab him."

Adam ran forward, quickly pulled Reggie away from Spikette, and ran back to us. Spikette looked at him, her expression a mix of horror and fury. "BABY!" She screamed, running after them.

Spikette got to her first, tackling her to the ground while Adam and Leo got the kid to the hydroloop tunnel. The fight was quickly brought out into the hall, but by time we got there, Adam, Leo, and Reggie were gone.

"Get back here!" Spikerella cried as Spikette hit the ground near the hydroloop tunnel. "I'm not done throwing you."

"The chip extractor's almost fixed." Douglas announced as he fiddled with it. "Hurry up and take her down."

"Shut it!" Spikerella snapped. "Or I'll take you down."

"Carry on." Douglas backed away slowly and Spikerella turned to face Spikette.

They attacked each other, fists swinging and legs kicking. Spikerella got a few hits in, but so did Spikette. Spikette's most impressive move was a 720 degree spin after Spikerella threw her into the air.

"Picked that one up in dance class!" She growled. She and Spikerella started at each other, then ran to the other side of the room, between the window and the glass barrier. It only took Spikerella a few seconds to completely shatter the glass by throwing Spikette through the barrier.

"That's one way to clean a window!" She growled. Spikette got back to her feet, already flying at Spikerella. Spikerella dodged the blow, back flipped over Spikette and kicked her back. Spikette charged again, but Spikerella was waiting for it, pushing her back with relative ease. They fought for another minute or so, but in the end, it was clear who the winner was. Spikerella slammed her fist into Spikette's back, putting her out of the fight.

Douglas took that moment to extract the chip for repair. "Got it." He looked at Kate for a moment. "She should be out for a while. Plenty of time for me to adjust her settings."

"Oh, what happened?" Chase questioned, stumbling out of the training area with a confused look on his face. Spikerella glowered at him, furious. "Bree, what's going on?"

"Run!" I hissed at him, but it was too late.

"You again." Spikerella growled. "Still think girls can't fight?"

Chase looked at her, confused but slightly wary. "I'm not so sure you are a girl." He replied. Spikerella came at him, forcing my boyfriend to run. Jaden looked at me.

"Since I'm no longer going to jail and that," he gestured in the direction that Chase and Spikerella had run in, "should take care of itself, who wants to play fuse ball.?"

** Chase's POV **

So, after Calla explained everything that happened with Spike and Spikerella, I was a little less confused. But in no less trouble for what I did.

"Well, I hope you learned your lesson." Douglas looked at me.

"Definitely." I nodded. "Girls can fight."

"Yup." Douglas agreed, looking over my shoulder as Kate and Calla, the latter of whom was explaining what happened today for the former. "Now, go apologize to Kate,"

"Right." I agreed, not really having to be told. I walked away, over to the girls and cleared my throat. "Um, hi. Kate. Good to see you."

Calla smiled at me and said goodbye to Kate, heading towards her next class. "Listen, I really just want to apologize for being so selfish. I never should have used you as a science experiment."

"It's okay." Kate told me. "I forgive you."

"You do?" I was surprised. "Thanks."

"No problem." Kate smiled. "But one more thing."

"Sure." I nodded.

"Don't ever use me as a human guinea pig…AGAIN!" The last word came out as a high-pitched scream, reminding me of Black Canary from the comic books. I screamed in agony, hitting the ground as Kate walked away with a grin. Douglas stood over me a moment later, smirking proudly to himself.

"Oh, by the way, I gave Kate an actual sonic scream." He told me before walking away laughing. I sighed, staying there on the floor. Okay, maybe I deserved that one.


	15. Mighty Med VS Lab Rats

**Calla's POV**

_I was standing on a stage, the massive hall full of the world's greatest and most achieved scientists in the world. Chase was among them, that I was sure of, as well as Mr. Davenport. I wasn't alone on the stage. Six other people, five award recipients and the Master of Ceremonies himself stood beside me._

" _And the Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Calla Alexandria Parker," the Master of Ceremonies announced. "for her ground-breaking research in the use of advanced bionics in the human body and their contributions to-"_

" _Calla?" A loud voice cut him off. "Calla! CALLA!"_

**xxx**

I awoke with a gasp, blinking rapidly in an attempt to find my bearings. The memories of my dream fading, I stared up at a face in confusion.

"What?" I groaned, eager to go back to sleep. Chase merely grinned, oblivious to my wishes.

"We did it! We did it!" He exclaimed. I stared at him, even more bewildered than ever, then looked at the clock. One quick glance told me that it was far too early to celebrate whatever 'it' was.

"Good for you, baby. Come back to bed." I rolled over, buried my face in my pillow and prayed that Chase would take the hint. He did not.

"C'mon!" Suddenly, he was pulling me from the comfort of my covers, dragging me towards the mentors' quarters where everyone else was still asleep. "GUYS WAKE UP! AH!" Chase screamed, grinning like a kid at Christmas.

Adam and Bree both started in their capsules, but Leo reacted in full, screaming as he rolled off the couch. "WE DID IT, WE DID IT, WE DID IT!" Chase screamed, jumping up and down.

"We were sleeping, we were sleeping, we were sleeping!" Leo screamed back, furious. I merely smirked at the scene, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"Chase, it is four-thirty in the morning. What is going on?" Bree demanded, glaring at her brother.

"It took five years, but Mr. Davenport and I finally cracked it." Chase exclaimed. "We've created a new technology that's going to revolutionize the way the world gets its energy."

We all stared at him. Honestly, if he'd told me about this five hours from now, I'd be ecstatic. But I can rarely get excited about anything before at least seven.

"Did he just wake us up to talk about science?" Adam grumbled.

"I don't care where you hit him, just make it hurt." Bree told him, starting to head back to her capsule.

"Come on!" Chase exclaimed, racing for the door. He didn't look back to see if we were even following.

"I wanna go back to sleep." Adam complained.

"Me too, but if we don't follow him, he'll just wake us up again." I reminded him, trudging slowly down to the stairs where Chase was waiting. The others slowly followed and we headed down to one of the rooms in the restricted wing of the Academy. Mr. Davenport had specifically installed it for his more dangerous or special inventions, and it was so restricted that even I only had access to a couple of the rooms on this level.

Chase led to us the room at the far end and opened the door to reveal Mr. Davenport standing over a glass box, talking to the small, metallic device inside. Not an unusual sight, but still a weird one.

"Oh, you are so beautiful." He cooed. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I-"

"Dude, you got to stop doing that." I told him, announcing our arrival.

"Doing what?" He demanded.

"Talking to a glass tube." I replied.

"I was talking to my reflection in a glass cube." He corrected.

"Here she is." Chase announced proudly. "The DavenChase Energy Transponder."

"That little thing is what you guys have been working on for five years?" Adam questioned. He nodded. "Your genius is fading, young Chase."

Chase looked at him, a little hurt. It wasn't often that Adam insulted Chase's intelligence.

"Yeah, if you think that's impressive, I've got a log cabin made out of popsicle sticks that will blow your mind."

"Guys…" I warned, too tired to get in the middle of this.

"So, what does it do?" Bree asked curiously.

"Well, it's kinda like Leo's energy transference ability. It wirelessly harnesses energy from sources around it, then stores it, so it's the ultimate power source."

"Cool." Adam grinned, finally hearing something he liked. "I've been looking for a new phone charger. Crack her open and juice me up."

"It's not a phone charger, Adam." Mr. Davenport told him patiently. "It's a billion dollar piece of technology. This little beauty packs enough punch to power an entire skyscraper."

"So, what will that give me? Like fifteen hours of talk time?" Adam asked.

"More like a thousand." I told him, watching him grin.

"Right now, this is just a one of a kind prototype, but soon, the entire world will run on my technology." Mr. Davenport continued.

"Uh, I think you mean our technology." Chase smiled.

"Yeah, my technology." Mr. Davenport nodded. "Here, let me show you how it works. For security reasons, we're keeping it in this impenetrable cube that can only be opened with my retina scan."

He bent down, letting the cube's lock scan his eye ball. It beeped happily a moment later, the lock clicking open. Mr. Davenport slowly opened the box just as Leo thought it was a good time to be funny.

"Eye am impressed." He joked. We all looked at him, unimpressed. "Get it? Because he has to use his eye to open the thing."

"Oh, we get it. It's just not funny." I told him, earning a glare from the younger boy. Mr. Davenport ignored us, gently placing the device on a small table by the display, both he and Chase treating it like it the most valuable thing in the world. And in their eyes, it was.

"Isn't it amazing?" Chase asked, his voice filled with awe.

"It's not doing anythi-" Bree began, upsetting Chase.

"It's harvesting energy!" He snapped, interrupting her mid-sentence.

"Chase." I said slowly, looking him over. "Calm down. I think you've had one too many coffees."

"No, I haven't." He retorted, but I could see how tense his shoulders were and I knew he'd probably been relying on coffee and energy drinks to stay up all night. It wasn't the first time this had happened either – we both had the bad habit of staying up too long while working on projects, drinking too much coffee, and then completely crashing for a few days once the project was done.

"Sorry, all I see is a phone charger." Adam shrugged. "Does it come with a cute little carrying case?"

"Okay Adam." Chase had finally had enough. "Still think it's a phone charger? Go ahead; put your phone on there."

"Thank you. Don't mind if I do." Adam replied, smiling to himself as he placed the phone on the device. Seconds later it was thrown across the room, sparks flying from it as it absorbed far too much energy. It hit the wall, spontaneously combusting upon impact.

"Still think it's a phone charger?" Chase questioned smugly.

"No." Adam grinned. "I'm just glad I tried it on your phone instead of mine."

"Wait, what?" Chase looked at him, annoyed.

"Okay, you know what?" I stopped the fight before the fight could start. "Chase, Davenport, congrats on your thingy. I'm going back to bed now." I grabbed Chase by the hand. "And you're coming with." I instructed.

"Calla-" He began to argue, but I didn't give him the chance.

"Chase, how many all-nighters have you pulled to finish this?" I asked, knowing that it wasn't just tonight.

"Uh…I…" Chase's face was blank, unsure. I nodded.

"Thought so. Come on, you need to get some sleep." I insisted, dragging him up to my bedroom.

**Chase's POV**

Six hours later, after everyone had gotten a few more hours of sleep and coffee had been passes around, Mr. Davenport and I were preparing to show our invention online to millions of potential buyers.

"What do you think?" I looked at Calla, showing off my new suit. I had to look good for presentation, so I'd grabbed that suit I'd bought for the prom none of us ever actually went to. She smirked, adjusting my tie.

"I think you should wear suits more often." She replied, smiling. For a moment there, I'd forgotten that we weren't the only ones in the room.

"Hey, you remember what today is, right?" I asked quietly, smiling. A smile appeared on Calla's face as she finished with my time.

"Of course I do." She grinned. "So, when are we leaving for our weekend off?"

"I was thinking that we leave when your final classes are done." I replied. She grinned.

"Awesome." She leaned in for a long kiss, only to be interrupted by Leo a moment later.

"You guys ready?" Leo called. Calla pulled away and sighed, looking back at him, then at the crowd of students who'd gathered to see the presentation. Rio, Kieran, Spin, Bob, and Adam were at the front of the group, smiling supportively. Bree and Jaden would have been there too, but they had to take Glitch to the vets for some annual shot or something.

"Yeah, they're ready." Calla replied. She gave me another kiss on the lips before heading back to help Leo with sound and video.

"Millions of people are online, waiting for the webcast to start." She announced, looking at the laptop she was using to broadcast.

"Oh, this is so exciting." Mr. Davenport said. I nodded in agreement. "How do we look?"

"Like a couple of hit-men from Mini Man Mob." Leo joked. I beamed, practically bouncing with excitement. Sure I'd sold inventions online before, usually at The Call, but this was different. It was bigger, more important.

"Guys, the sign." Calla reminded us before telling Leo to adjust the camera.

"Right, thanks." Mr. Davenport agreed. He pulled the cover off the sign so all could see it. I stared at it for a moment, betrayed at what it said.

DAVENchase ENERGY TRANSPONDER

"Are you kidding me?" I demanded, looking at my father.

"I know. You're name was supposed to be much smaller." Mr. Davenport replied.

"Great, so once again it's all about you." I accused.

"Chase, relax." He told me. "I have no problem sharing the spotlight with you."

"Alright. Broadcasting in three…two…" Calla announced.

"Move, you're in my light." Mr. Davenport snapped at me, pushing me behind him as Calla pointed at us to let us know that we were broadcasting.

**Oliver's POV**

Kaz and I stepped out of the wormhole, landing in a very sophisticated room. A large tube-like device was to my left, a window with a view to the ocean to my right, and nothing about this look at all familiar.

"Kaz, where are we?" I demanded, getting the feeling that my best friend had tricked me. "You told me we were going to a comic book festival in Amsterdam."

Kaz was a little busy looking around the place, but still spared me a glance. "Have you ever been to Amsterdam?" He asked, examining the large tube.

"No." I admitted.

"Then welcome to Amsterdam!" He grinned, pleased with himself. I gave him a look and he sighed. "Look, I heard about this Bionic Academy and I had to check it out.

"Bionic Academy?" I repeated. I knew I'd heard the name before, but I just couldn't think of where.

"Yeah, this guy Donald Davenport created it and there's like a hundred kids with different abilities that train here." Kaz explained, grinning. "They're like high-tech warriors."

"Great, because that's the place you want to break into." I commented. Kaz rolled his eyes.

"C'mon man. This could be the key to me finally getting powers." He insisted. "All we have to do is borrow the device that installs bionics and no one would ever know."

"If you keep this up, I'm going to stop wormholing with you." I warned. He gave me a look, both of us knowing that probably wasn't going to happen.

Kaz sighed. "Now come on. Let's go."

"We're going to get caught." I warned him. He frowned, realizing that I might be right, but a smirk appeared on his face after a few seconds.

"Don't worry. I've got us covered." He told me before walking over to a cart of dirty laundry behind me. He tossed me a short with orange shoulders and grabbed a yellow one for him self, pulling it on.

The moment I did, the awful smell hit me. Yep, these were definitely from the dirty pile. "Guess this Academy doesn't train kids to put on deodorant." I mumbled.

"Hmm, grape jelly and tuna." Kaz sniffed at a stain above the logo on his shirt. "Fancy."

**Chase's POV**

I couldn't believe that Mr. Davenport took all the credit for our invention! I put in as much work and just as many hours as him! I deserved to have half of the credit for it. But no, he had to be greedy and take all of it.

"That presentation went great." Mr. Davenport commented as we walked back into the mentors' quarters.

"You didn't even let me talk!" I retorted.

"Like I said, it went great." Mr. Davenport smiled. I sighed. He would never realize how big of an ego he had.

"Let's just get started on finding a company that will mass produce the transponder." I sighed. I already had a few in mind that I liked.

"I already did it." Mr. Davenport told me with a smile.

"You did?" I stared at him. He nodded.

"Yeah. As soon as the presentation was over I made one phone call and the deal was done." He replied.

"Why didn't you consult me?" I demanded. His expectations from our buyers were vastly different, so we both should have had a say in this.

"Because if I consulted you, then I would have had to listen to your opinions." He replied. I gave him a look.

"Well, did you at least go with a company that's environmentally conscious?" I questioned. It had really been my only request about the company. The environment was a big deal to me, always had been. Calla too. Ninety-nine perfect of the inventions we'd worked on in the past were environmentally friendly, or at least, wouldn't do too much damage. All of the companies I'd been thinking of had good reputations for making sure their products were good for the environment, and I'd planned on bringing that up to Mr. Davenport, but he never gave me the chance.

"I considered that, I did." He assured me. "And many, many other factors and in the end, I went with the guy who paid the most. Ka-ching!"

"But-" I protested, but he had already left the room. I sighed in frustration, taking off my jacket and tossing it onto the nearest chair. I thought about changing, but decided against it, instead going to go find Calla. She'd mentioned something about getting a snack after the presentation, so I figured she'd be in the cafeteria.

I didn't find Calla in there, but I did find Jaden and Bree. They didn't seem too pleased with each other.

"Bree, you're overreacting!" Jaden exclaimed in frustration.

"I am not!" Bree argued back angrily. I went to leave, knowing better than to get involved, but Bree must have seen me as I tried to flee. "Chase, get in here!"

"Guys, can't I stay out of this?" I asked hopefully. No dice.

"I just want to ask you a question." Bree assured me. "If you saw Calla flirting with Caleb, or some other guy she dated in the past, wouldn't you get upset?"

Before I could respond, Jaden cut in. "I was not flirting with her! We were just having a normal conversation, geez!"

"Okay, what happened?" I demanded, stopping them both. They both started to explain, interrupting each other until I held up my hands for silence. "Bree, you go first."

"Jaden's ex-girlfriend just moved into town and got a job as a secretary at the vet's office and she and Jaden were flirting while we were in the waiting room." My sister grumbled. Jaden looked at her like she was crazy.

"Okay, that's not what happened." He protested.

"Then what did happen?" I asked.

"When I was in Australia for that month before the world found out about your bionics, I met a girl named Kayla. But we were friends, that's it. Just friends. And yes, she just moved into town. She got an international scholarship for the University of California, and yes, she moved into Mission Creek. Yes, she was at the vet's office, working, but we were just chatting."

"No one was flirting?" I confirmed, looking at him. Bree wouldn't normally get this upset over nothing.

"Okay, so maybe she flirted a bit, but I wasn't. Honest." Jaden assured me.

"You totally were." Bree retorted. "'I love what you've done with your hair, Kayla. It looks really good on you.'"

"She got it dyed and cut. I couldn't just say nothing!" Jaden exclaimed.

"You would hate it if I flirted with another guy." Bree argued. Jaden let out a sigh.

"You know what? Go ahead. It won't bother me at all." He retorted.

"Fine!" Bree snapped.

"Fine." Jaden growled. "Now if you excuse me, I have to make lunch for a hundred bionic superhumans."

With that, he walked into his kitchen, leaving Bree and I alone in the cafeteria. I sighed and looked at her.

"Let me guess. She was really pretty and you got jealous." I assumed.

"She looked like a freaking supermodel." Bree grumbled. "I mean, how am I supposed to compare to girls like that? And she was obviously into him. And he was flirting."

Honestly, I figured they were both right. Jaden sometimes had the habit of being a little too nice to pretty girls without thinking. While most would see it as flirting, it was just him trying to make them smile because that was who he was. He liked to crack jokes and make people smile.

"Why don't you both take a breather, then discuss this later?" I suggested. "It'll be easier to deal with when everyone's calmer."

"You've done something like this with Calla?" Bree guessed, a small smirk on her face.

"Something like it." Calming her down after Skylar came into the picture had been pretty hard. "But he probably didn't mean it."

"I don't care what he meant, it's that he did it." Bree grumbled, pushing past me on her way out. I sighed, wishing I hadn't been dragged into that. "I've got a class to teach."

"Alright." I called after her, shaking my head. Calla walked in a moment later, looking at the kitchen.

"Guessing that they're still fighting?" She assumed. I nodded.

"Yeah, pretty much." I agreed. She sighed.

"Damn it. When Jaden's pissed, he tends to get lazy with his meal options. Thirty bucks says we're getting PB&J for lunch."

"No bet." I agreed with her. "Oh, did Mr. Davenport tell you about how he sold the Energy Transponder?"

"Yeah, he mentioned it." Calla gave me a sympathetic smile. "Sorry, honey."

"He just gets so full of himself sometimes!" I complained as we walked down the hall. "I mean, he takes all the credit."

"Well, here's an idea. Create your own company, then you can do what you want. You'll be able to make all the big boy decisions yourself." She suggested. I gave her a look. "Hey, I'm serious. I would totally invest in Chase Creations."

"Chase Creations?" I laughed. She beamed.

"See? I got you to laugh." She sounded pleased with herself. She kissed me on the cheek. "Now if you'll excuse me, Spin's been asking for some private training lessons."

"Why?" I frowned.

"He wants to move onto the next training level before Leo." She rolled her eyes. "It's a pathetic competition between the two of them, but at least he's dedicated to his training."

"Alright. Have fun. I'll see you after." I told her. She smiled, kissed me, and walked away, leaving me to my thoughts.

**Oliver's POV**

After a full twenty minutes of walking around, we still couldn't find these bionics. We saw a few people in the halls – a boy and girl in white discussing something called Chase Creations, as well as another boy and girl, both in uniforms identical to Kaz's laughing about something, but we avoided them. They might realize we weren't supposed to be here. Not to mention, I had the distinct feeling that the people in white were the people in charge.

Eventually, we found ourselves in a large, circular room. Judging by the equipment in here, it must have been their gym.

"I don't get it. These bionics have got to be around here somewhere." Kaz complained, looking around the room.

"Okay, let's say you do get the bionics," I ventured slowly, "what are you going to do with all that power?"

"That is between me and the rest of the weird bionic people." Kaz replied, shrugging. Just then, a tall guy walked in. He had short black hair and was dressed in white pants and a black shirt with white stripes over the collar bone Other people in uniforms similar to ours followed him. We tried to escape, but it was too late.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" The guy asked, looking at us. "You're supposed to be training. Get with the other students. Alright, everyone fall in."

"Yes, we will…get with the other students because we are students of the island." I stumbled over my words, a bad habit of mine that only appeared when I was nervous.

"Smooth." Kaz commented dryly, moving us in line to stand next to a brown haired guy with a black and orange shirt. He looked at us for a moment, frowning.

"That's weird, I thought I knew everyone here." He mumbled, staring at us. Before he could say anything more, the instructor cut him off.

"Alright, for today's combat exercise, you'll be pairing up and fighting each other using your bionics. Any questions?" He asked. "And I hope not because I can pretty much guarantee that I do not know the answer."

I raised my hand nervously. "Can we practice fighting without bionics?" I asked hopefully. Otherwise, Kaz and I were busted. "And also without fighting?"

The instructor thought about it. "I would say yes, but I'm afraid no one would get hurt." He grabbed me by the shoulder and started pushing me down the row. "Now, let's see if we can find an even match for you." He stopped in front of a brown haired girl who was wearing the same color uniform as me. "Yeah, this should work."

"Okay, this doesn't sound that bad." I stated. The girl raised an eyebrow at that, then shot two balls of blue electricity from her hands. I ran back a few steps, jumping into Kaz's arms and staring at the girl. Okay, I did not like bionics. Everyone was staring though, and I needed to cover for that embarrassment.

"If it's okay, I already have a partner." I mentioned, pointing at Kaz. "And if it's not okay, can he be her partner?"

"It's fine." The girl shrugged before the instructor could answer. She looked at him. "Kieran can be my partner, right Adam?"

"Yeah, okay Rio." Judging by the tone of his voice and the way he looked at her, he'd probably give her whatever she wanted. Awesome.

**Chase's POV**

I was hanging out in the main classroom, bored out of my mind as I waited for Calla to finish her private lessons with Spin so we could leave for Mission Creek. We'd both been making plans for this for a long time and I was actually pretty excited. Calla had been tight-lipped about her part of the plans, but I'd gotten us reservations at her favourite restaurant. It was expensive, but the food there was incredible and I knew that Calla just adored their New York style cheesecake. She was going to love this! And after last year…this needed to be perfect.

Suddenly, the hydroloop doors opened and a tall, African-American man in a suit walked out. "Uh, excuse me? This is a restricted area. Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Mr. Davenport." He replied. "I represent a group of buyers and we would like to make an offer for his Energy Transponder."

"He's not here." I told him, remember that Mr. Davenport had gone to the mainland for a few hours to tell Tasha about the invention. "And you're too late. He already made a deal."

I sighed and walked back to my desk, still upset about that fact. "Wait, I saw you standing behind him on the webcast." The man realized. "Aren't you the co-creator of the transponder?"

I smiled. Finally, a little credit. "Well, I don't mean to brag, but yes, I am Chase, the most brilliant man in the world."

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, who did he make the deal with?" The man questioned. I shook my head.

"I couldn't tell you. I was left out of the negotiations." I sighed. "I don't know if you noticed, but my father's a bit of an ego-maniac."

He nodded in agreement. "I did notice that. Lower case chase." He sighed. "Well I guess I'm wasting my time, kid. I'm used to dealing with the people who make the decisions."

He started to walk away, but what he said echoed in my head. I wasn't a kid anymore, and it was time that I started making the decisions. "Wait." I stopped him. "I had just as much to do with the transponder as he did and the prototype is still here."

"I'll double whatever offer you have." He told me.

"I don't care about the money." I replied. "I just want the transponders produced in an environmentally-friendly way."

"Of course, that's our motto!" The man replied. "Nature first…everything else second."

I grinned. "Awesome."

"So do we have a deal?" He asked. I nodded.

"You know what? Yes, yes we do." I shook his hand. "And my dad is going to kill me."

Following that, the man requested that he see the product he was buying. I quickly agreed, showing him down the restricted hallway to where we kept the Energy Transponder. "There is it." I announced proudly.

"Wow." He nodded, smiling. "It's beautiful."

"I know." I agreed. He nodded, still staring at the invention. Something suddenly occurred to me then. "By the way, I never caught your name."

"How rude of me." The man replied, his voice dropping to a much lower tone. Before I could say anything else, even to ask what was up with his voice, there was a bright flash of light, pain exploded on my chest, and I felt myself falling. For better or for worse, my consciousness fled before I hit the ground.

**Oliver's POV**

Kaz and I watched in horror as another two students nearly killed themselves in their bionic fights. So far, we'd seen dozens of abilities – electric bo staffs, intangibility, super strength, super speed – and I couldn't help but getting even more anxious at the thought of us getting caught.

"Great work you two." The instructor, Adam I believe his name was, complimented the two students that were still on the ground. "When both students are completely passed out, I know I've done my job."

He walked over to us as the girl from earlier, Rio, and her partner, Kieran, helped get the two unconscious students out of the way. "Alright, you guys are up next." He told us. "What are your names again?"

"François Bouchoin de la Guerra." Kaz replied instantly. Adam looked at him strangely. "But you can call me Frank."

"Good." Adam wrote it down on his tablet. "And you are?"

"Frank." I said the first thing that came to mind. Adam nodded, not caring that we both had the same name.

"Alright everybody! It's Frank on Frank! Let's see what they've got!" He declared, backing up to give me and Kaz room to fight. I looked at Kaz, worried.

"What do we do?" I hissed.

"Just follow my lead." He replied. He looked at me for a moment, then placed his hands on his temples and let out groans of frustration. Realizing what he meant, I pretended to be in agonizing pain, clutching my head while shouting.

"What are you doing to him?" Adam demanded.

"I can attack other people's brains with my brain." Kaz lied.

"That's not a real ability." Adam argued.

"Yes it is!" Kaz retorted.

"Alright, you've convinced me." Adam agreed. He looked at me, frowning. "Frank, what are you doing? Fight back! What's your ability?"

I froze, unable to think of any abilities easy to fake. "I…have the same ability."

"Seriously?" Kaz gave me an annoyed look, but played along until we were on the ground, pretending to be dying. Suddenly, a girl in a uniform identical to Adam's ran in. She was fairly pretty, with long brown hair and a slim build.

"Adam, Chase was just attacked in the Transponder room!" She cried. Adam nodded.

"Guys, I've got to go. Frank, you're in charge. Frank, keep an eye on Frank!" And with that, he followed the girl out of the room. We slowly got up, only to see that the rest of the class was watching us.

**Chase's POV**

The first thing I realized when I started to come to was that my head hurt. A lot. The second thing I realized was that someone was talking to me.

"Chase?" The voice said. It sounded urgent. And concerned.

"Calla…" I moaned, hoping that my guess was right.

"Right here." She assured me. I slowly opened my eyes to see her kneeling next to me, a frown on her face. Confused, I started to push myself up, only for her to put her hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Slowly." She warned.

"Ow." I complained, rubbing my head with a wince. "What happened?"

Calla's frown deepened. "I don't know." She said slowly. "Mr. Davenport sent me to retrieve the Energy Transponder and I just found you here. I sent Bree to go get everyone else."

"Kay." I shook my head, trying to shake off the pain and dizziness. It worked a little, but I must have taken a bad blow. But what had happened? I gasped, everything suddenly coming back to me.

"Chase?" Calla rubbed my shoulder gently, but I shook my head.

"Help me up." I instructed. She grabbed me by the arm to hoist me up just as Adam, Bree, Leo, and Mr. Davenport ran in, all worried and confused.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Mr. Davenport demanded. I didn't answer right away, instead making sure I had my footing. I leaned against the wall a bit, giving myself a chance to recover when I finally did answer.

"I was showing the transponder to a potential buyer-" I began, only for Mr. Davenport to cut me off,

"You brought a complete stranger in here?" He demanded. I ignored what he said and continued.

"He blasted me with some kind of energy force." I finished.

"Where's the transponder?" Mr. Davenport questioned, looking at the pedestal where it should have been. The entire thing was gone, case and all.

"He must have taken it." Leo realized. Mr. Davenport sighed.

"Great." He muttered before looking at me. "Chase, what were you thinking?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe that you made a deal without me so I was going to make a better one without you!" I snapped.

"Well, if your deal was to get knocked out and robbed, you did a bang up job." Adam patted me on the shoulder with a smirk, but I could see him looking me over for any obvious injuries, just to make sure I wasn't too badly hurt.

"We need to find the guy who did this." Leo declared.

"It wasn't just some guy. That energy blast wasn't human." I pointed out.

"What energy blast is human?" Calla questioned.

"So he was bionic?" Leo confirmed.

"Maybe an android." She considered the possibility. Adam suddenly gasped.

"What if he was an angry spirit from a galaxy far, far away. We're not match for a space ghost!" He exclaimed.

"It wasn't a space ghost, Adam." Calla assured him.

"But we still don't know who we're dealing with or what he's capable of." Bree pointed out, looking to Mr. Davenport for instructions.

"I'll contact the authorities, you guys get in your mission suits. This guy could still be on the island. Until further notice, everyone's on high alert." He instructed. We all nodded, heading for our quarters. Adam, Bree, and I climbed into our capsules to get into our mission suits.

When we got out, Calla, Leo, and Jaden were all waiting for us. Calla and Leo were both in their mission suits while Jaden was sporting his usual attire. "We called my mom." He told us. "She's going to bring a couple of guys with her when she comes, but it could be a while. Apparently there was some sort of accident on the highway and traffic is crazy."

"Got it." I nodded, looking at him and Calla. "You guys have gadgets to defend yourselves?"

"When don't we?" Calla teased, handing Jaden her plasma gun. She pulled a dark red glove onto her right hand, flexing her fingers to make sure it fit properly. The weird thing about the glove was that there were weird black circles on the tips of her fingers and at the palm of her hand.

"New toy. Shoots balls of electricity. Got the idea from Rio's abilities." Calla explained. As if to prove her point, a ball of electricity appeared in the palm of her hand, glowing blue. "I figured it would be a little more helpful in this case than the Paragun."

"I'm not arguing with that." I agreed. She nodded.

"Alright, Adam and I will check on the students, try and get them all to go to the training area. I've already given Rio and Kieran orders to keep everyone there." Calla told me. I nodded.

"Right. Jaden, I want you to take the top floor. Do a sweep to make sure it's empty, then go to the hydroloop to meet Officer Parker and her deputies." I instructed. "Bree, I want you to check the restricted areas and the student dorms. Leo will take classrooms 3 and 4, and I'll take 1 and 2. Sound good?" They all nodded. "Alright. One last thing. Do not engage without backup. He's dangerous and as Bree said before, we don't know what he's capable of."

"Got it." Calla nodded and kissed me on the cheek before following Adam out of the room. Bree sped off without saying anything to Jaden, obviously still a little upset with him. He sighed, but followed orders and headed out into the hall to check the bedrooms while Leo and I spilt up to check our individual areas.

**Oliver's POV**

"And we're back where we started." I announced as Kaz and I found ourselves back in the room we wormholed into.

"Okay, maybe we should have taken that left turn at the stairs." Kaz admitted.

"You think?" I retorted, having suggested doing that earlier. Kaz rolled his eyes and turned to go in that direction when Adam walked up to us. He had changed clothes into a black leather uniform that was actually kinda badass.

"Hey Franks!" He greeted.

"Uh, hey. Howdy teach." Kaz greeted. "Oh, hey. I've been meaning to ask you. I know I have all these bionics, but if I wanted more of the bionics, where would I go for that?"

Adam stared at us.

"Yeah, is there like a room or a cubby? Maybe I bionic vending machine?" I asked.

"I wish, but no one will listen to me." Adam replied. "But you guys need to come into the training area now."

"Why? More fighting?" Kaz asked. Adam shook his head.

"There's an intruder that we're trying to catch." He replied. Oh man, we were so busted.

"Adam, have you got all the students?" A girl in a similar black leather uniform ran up, her dark hair swept over her right shoulder. She frowned upon seeing us, suspicion lighting up her blue eyes. "Adam, who are they?"

She put her hands behind her back, obviously pressing some sort of button. Seconds later, another three people in black uniforms came in, looking confused. One was the girl from earlier, another was an African-American about our age, and the other was short with spiky brown hair. There was a fourth guy, taller than the rest and obviously a couple of years older, but for whatever reason he was dressed in regular clothing instead of black leather.

"These are our new students." Adam replied, seeming totally relaxed despite the fact that the girl called back up into the room. "Frank and…I forgot the other one's name."

"We don't have any new students." The taller of the two girls stated, looking us over. Adam frowned.

"We don't? Are you sure Bree?" He asked her. She nodded and he gasped. "Wait a minute!" He bent down and sniffed Kaz's shirt. "I should have known! That's Bob's Jelly Tuna shirt!"

"Look, I can explain everything." I assured them, then I glanced at Kaz. "But Frank, you'd probably do a better job, so you go ahead."

"Who are you guys?" The kid our age demanded, looking at us.

"They're intruders." The guy in regular clothes accused.

"Too bad." Bree sighed, giving the older boy a smirk. "This one's kinda cute."

I smirked, realizing she was talking about me. The taller guy gave her an annoyed look, but she didn't seem too bothered by it.

"I bet they're with the guy who stole the transponder!" The spiky haired guy accused. Those he was one of the shortest, he did seem to be in charge. "Where is he? Where is the transponder?"

Transponder? What transponder? Clearly, we weren't their only intruders of the day. "Transponder? No, no, no, Kaz was just trying to-"

"Get them!" Adam snapped. Before anyone could do anything though, we heard another voice.

"Get away from them." We turned to see our friends, Tecton, Granite, and Gama Girl, standing there. Oh, thank god!

"Tecton!" Kaz cried in relief. I grinned.

"Granite, Gama Girl!" We ran over to them, getting away from the very angry bionic people.

"Guys? A surprise costume party?" Adam grinned at his friends. "It's not even my birthday!"

"What's going on?" Bree demanded, looking at us.

"I don't know." The spiky haired boy replied. I looked at Tecton.

"What are you guys doing here?" How could they have possibly known that we were in trouble.

"We've been tracking the Incapacitator." He replied, looking at the bionic people as if they were the enemy. Which I guess he thought they were. "His infrared energy trail led us here."

The boy our age laughed. "Look, super boy. I don't know what movie theatre your mom thought she was dropping you off at but you're in the wrong place."

He leaned against one of the computer consoles, absently drawing energy from it like he was bored.

"He's got energy transference, just like the Incapacitator." Tecton observed. Before we could tell him that this was just a misunderstanding, that there was no way that kid was the Incapacitator, blasted them with a wall of energy, throwing them all back a few feet. Adam looked at him, furious that he would attack them.

"Oh yeah, two can play that game!" He shouted before blowing a hurricane-force wind at them. Kaz and I backed up so that we were out of harm's way, watching them.

"Yeah, he definitely did not get that out of a vending machine." Kaz joked, watching them all divide. Adam, Bree, the spiky haired boy and the guy with energy transference lined up, ready to fight, while the tall guy in regular clothes and the blue-eyed girl stepped closer to us, also out of the line of fire.

Adam charged at Tecton the two of them grappling with their strength while the spiky haired one ran at Granite. He ducked under Granite's staff, kicking him in the back of the foot to throw him off balance, and activated his own blue plasma bo staff. Obviously competent with the weapon, he and Granite fought each other, the kid our age stepping in when it looked like Granite could have a chance at winning. Bree was busy fighting Gama Girl, the boy in normal clothing watching closely with some sort of blaster in his hands.

"Did you see that?" I gasped as Granite threw the kid across the room.

"Yeah, you won't see that in Amsterdam." Kaz agreed. "Oh crap."

"What?" I demanded. Kaz sighed.

"I left the wormhole transporter in my pants." He told me. Even though I knew he was talking about the pants he swapped out earlier, I was still weirded out by his wording.

"Okay I'll come with you, but please, don't ever say that again." I pleaded with him. We turned to run and get the pants, only for the girl from earlier to stop us the second we entered the hall.

"Where do you think you're going?" She questioned, the hand with the red glove raised as if she was going to shoot something out of it. I gulped. This could be bad. We had no idea what bionics she had, or how powerful she was.

"To get my pants?" Kaz admitted, looking her over. She frowned at us.

"When Chase asked you about the transponder, you looked…confused. As if you didn't know about it." She remembered, looking at us as if she was trying to determine whether or not we were a threat.

"We don't." I insisted. "This is all just one big misunderstanding."

"Then help me understand what you're doing here. Who are you? Who attacked Chase?" She demanded. "Who's this Incapacitator that your friends mentioned? And why the hell are they dressed up like Tecton, Gama Girl and Granite?"

"You know who they are?" Kaz and I were both surprised. I didn't realize bionic people read comic books.

"Well?" She demanded.

"It's a long story…" I began. Her hand twitched like she was eager to shoot us.

"Start talking." She warned. "Who are you?"

"I'm Oliver, this is my friend Kaz." I told her honestly. "And you are…"

"None of your concern. Who attacked Chase?" She growled.

"We don't know." I admitted. She raised an eyebrow.

"It may have been the Incapacitator." Kaz suggested. "I mean, the guys did track him here."

"Yeah, who is he?" The girl questioned.

"A really, really dangerous criminal. Our friends are trying to catch him." I explained. She seemed to accept that. "But we only know him because of his reputation. No one has ever seen him before. So when they saw that kid use an ability we know the Incapacitator has…"

"They thought Leo was the Incapacitator and we were his allies." The girl sighed. "Okay, I'll admit that your story makes sense. But that doesn't explain why you're here."

"We uh…" I looked at Kaz and he sighed.

"I want superpowers. I figured that the best place to get them would be here." He admitted. The girl sighed.

"Morons." She muttered. I chuckled. "Wait." She stopped us suddenly, suspicious. "Why are your friends dressed like superheroes?"

"Well, they are superheroes?" I offered. She didn't seem impressed. "I'm telling the truth."

"Superheroes don't exist. They're just comics, stories, works of fiction." She argued. "They're not real."

"Yes, they are." Kaz insisted. "We're friends with them. That really is Tecton, Gama Girl, and Granite."

"Impossible." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Says the bionic girl." I pointed out. Her lips curved upwards into a smirk, her expression amused.

"Yeah, says the 'bionic' girl." She agreed. Something about her tone made me question that. "Your friends are superheroes?"

"Yeah." I agreed. She sighed and lowered her arm.

"Holy shit, what kind of world do I live in?" She laughed lightly to herself. Then she frowned. "Wait, so you're saying that there are bionic superhumans and superheroes fighting each other in the room next door?"

"Yeah…"

"Dude, I'm totally getting this on camera." She grabbed her phone and started pushing us towards the main room.

"But we-" Kaz began, but the girl shook her head.

"Sorry. Even if you're telling the truth, I can't let you wander the Academy alone without permission from Mr. Davenport." She told us.

"C'mon, I just want my pants!" Kaz insisted. She gave him a weird look.

"Only if you don't explain why you're wearing someone else's pants. I'm not sure I want to know." She replied.

**Chase's POV**

I didn't know who these people were, but they had abilities that we'd never dealt with. I mean, who would have thought there could be a bionic superhuman or android with rocks for skin?

I spun my staff at the rock guy, Granite I think those two guys called him, but he dodged my blow, kicking me in the ribs. I hit the wall behind me, hard. Luckily for me, Leo had my back, throwing an energy sphere at him before he could take advantage. The energy sphere spun harmlessly his staff, but it was enough of a distraction as he then chose to ignore me in favour of attacking Leo.

The others weren't faring that great either. The girls were fighting, hand to hand, with the occasional blast of energy coming from the one in green. Bree tried speeding around her, but it was almost as if the girl in green had fought someone like this before. She waited for Bree to slow down then attacked her from behind, throwing my sister to the ground. I heard her shout for help, but Jaden was already there, using the plasma gun to knock the girl in green off her balance.

Adam was facing the man in red, both of them having super strength. They dodged each other's blows, but the man in red pushed Adam against the wall, preventing him from moving.

That was a bad idea. Adam glared at him, throwing him off him with a single shot of his hurricane breath ability. Bree and Jaden were gaining ground too, combining their attacks to throw the girl off guard. Even Leo and I seemed to be getting the better of our enemy, especially when Leo pulled his bo staff away from him.

"Let's see how tough you are without your little stick!" Leo challenged. The guy merely raised his hand and the stick flew back to him. Must be magnetized, I thought to myself. There was no other explanation. "Alright, that's pretty tough."

I leapt at the guy from behind, certain that I would get him this time. He seemed to disappear, the rocks almost crumbling, but that was impossible. Still, I flew through the space he had been, hitting Adam to the ground instead of my target. "…Okay." What had just happened? I stared at the rock guy even as he reformed himself. Was this some sort of weird dream? Had to be.

" _GUYS!"_  Suddenly, the monitor behind us turned on, showing Mr. Davenport on the screen.  _"Help!"_

We all got to our feet, but for some reason, the others didn't attack us. "Big D!" Leo exclaimed.

" _Get up here, quick!"_  Mr. Davenport exclaimed, sounding panicked.

"Who is that?" The man in red asked, not unkindly.

"Our father." Bree replied, looking both worried and confused. Suddenly, the angle of Mr. Davenport's camera turned, revealing the man who attacked me, though he was wearing some sort of weird black and green uniform.

"Who's that?" Adam demanded.

"That's the guy who stole the transponder!" I growled.

"That's the Incapacitator." The man in red announced. "Wait, you guys don't work for him?"

"No." Calla replied, walking up behind us with the two guys from earlier. The guys had changed into regular clothing, Calla remaining in her mission suit. Thankfully, it didn't look like she was hurt in the slightest. In fact, it didn't look like she'd fought them at all. "Apparently, the Incapacitator is a villain that these guys, Tecton, Granite, and Gama Girl, have come to take down."

"What?" I looked at my girlfriend, wondering if she'd lost her mind.

"Right. Bionic heroes," the black haired kid gestured at us, then at his friends, "super heroes. Superheroes, bionic heroes. I probably should have done that before the battle, but I am so glad I didn't."

"Wait, so they're real superheroes? Like the ones in the comic books?" Well, Leo was certainly enjoying this. "And on my lunch box? Which I no longer use."

"Yeah, they're real superheroes." Even Calla was grinning ear to ear. She spun around to face the man in red, the one she introduced as Tecton. "Can I, uh, have you autograph?"

"Sure thing." He grabbed a piece of paper off the nearest desk, signing it for her.

"Calla!" I snapped. She frowned at me, surprised by my tone, but nodded in understanding when I gestured at the screen behind.

"Right, autographs later." She decided, leading the way up to the mentors' quarters.

**Calla's POV**

Introductions were done quickly, on our way up to the mentors' quarters and despite the fact that they'd just had a massive showdown a few minutes ago, everyone seemed to get along well enough. Though it was hard to tell, consider how rushed we were.

"Mr. Davenport!" Chase exclaimed as we rushed into his quarters. Mr. Davenport was on the ground, holding his eye while the Incapacitator was standing above him, holding the Energy Transponder.

"Don't move Incapacitator!" Tecton ordered. Mr. Davenport looked at us with his good eyes, confused.

"Who are they?" He questioned.

"Superheroes!" Leo called, beaming. Mr. Davenport gave him a weird look, but knew that now wasn't the time to ask questions.

The Incapacitator smirked. "You're too late, Tecton." He announced. "I already have what I need to make you and the entire world bow down at my feet."

He raised the Energy Transponder into the air and green electricity flew from it. I ducked my head, protecting my eyes, as did everyone else. Tecton wasn't very amused.

"Take him down!" He ordered. He started to charge at the Incapacitator, Gama Girl and Granite following him, but the Incapacitator blasted green electricity at them. Instead of hurting them like I expected, it surrounded them and he used it to lift them off their feet. He threw the ball of electricity into the ceiling and into the sky. He must have released them eventually, because I could distantly hear shouts and three large splashes.

"That's it!" Chase snapped angrily. "I got us into this mess, I'm gonna get us out!"

He activated his bo staff, glaring daggers at the Incapacitator. "No Chase! Stop!" Mr. Davenport tried to stop him. "He's too powerful!"

But Chase was beyond listening at this point. He ran at the Incapacitator, bo staff ready. He swung it at the Incapacitator, who caught it with his bare hand, not even the slightest bit bothered by the electricity flowing through it.

Chase let out a shout as the Incapacitator overloaded the electricity going through the bo staff, the force of it throwing Chase back several feet. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

"Chase!" I ran forwards, hitting my knees beside him. When he didn't stir at the sound of my shout, I fumbled for his wrist, trying to find a pulse. I could hear the Incapacitator talking in the background, but I was too focused on trying to find out if Chase was still…

Yes! I could feel a pulse. It was far too fast for my liking, but it was there, and that was good enough for me. "He's still alive." I breathed in total, complete relief.

"Not for long, not if he doesn't get some help." Jaden reminded me, checking Chase's breathing. It was unnecessary – it was obvious to everyone that he was barely breathing and completely unresponsive.

"What do we do, Big D?" We all looked at the man in charge. He was kneeling next to me, his hand around Chase's other wrist, double checking to make sure I was right about the pulse.

"I…I don't know." He admitted brokenly. "He's fried Chase's entire bionic infrastructure. I don't think I have the equipment here to save him."

"Don't worry, we can." Oliver spoke up suddenly.

"What?" Mr. Davenport looked at them, surprised.

'I'm Kaz and this is Oliver. We work at a place called Mighty Med." Kaz explained. "It's a hospital for superheroes. We deal with this kind of stuff all the time. We can save him."

I didn't even hesitate. "How do we get there?"

"Calla, we barely know them." Leo warned. I could see the worry and fear shining in his eyes, but suspicion too. He did have a point. They could be working for the Incapacitator for all we know. But this was Chase…

"Look, he's already…" I broke off, unable to finish that sentence. "I don't see how they could make it any worse."

"It's up to you, Mr. D." Jaden told our boss.

"Trust me, we save heroes lives everyday. I promise you, he'll be fine." Oliver assured us.

"Mr. Davenport, what do we do?" Bree questioned. I looked at her, having not even noticed that she was beside me.

"Go." Mr. Davenport instructed. "I'm not going to risk his life."

"Calla." Adam murmured, motioning that he needed to take Chase's arm from me. I nodded, reluctantly letting go so that he and Jaden could manoeuvre Chase onto Adam's back.

"I'm going to stay here, talk to the authorities about the Incapacitator." Mr. Davenport continued.

"How are we going to get him there?" Adam looked at Kaz.

"Through a wormhole." Kaz replied, reaching into his pocket.

"Look, I know we're friends, but is now really the time to make fun of Chase's size?" Adam questioned. Kaz stared at him, confused, but Mr. Davenport spoke up before he could.

"I don't care what you have to do. Save my son." He instructed. Oliver nodded.

"We will." He promised, taking a silver device from Kaz. He pressed a button on it, and suddenly we were surrounded by a light blue light. A second later, we were standing in the middle of what was clearly a hospital room.

"Welcome to Mighty Med." Oliver announced. "The world's best superhero hospital."

"First I get to travel through a wormhole, and now I'm in a superhero hospital?" Leo grinned. "This is the best day ever!"

"If you don't count the part where our brother got blasted and is about to die!" Bree snapped.

"Well, you really know how to ruin a guy's day." Leo retorted. Bree looked like she was going to say something, so I cut her off.

"Guys, not the time." I growled. Oliver nodded.

"Here, put him over here." He motioned to an empty bed nearby. Adam did as he was told without question, helping Oliver set him up in bed.

"Horace!" Kaz stopped a man in a lab coat as he walked by. "Chase was blasted by the Incapacitator. He needs immediate medical attention."

"Oh no, not Chase! This is terrible!" The man, Horace, exclaimed. "Who's Chase?"

"My boyfriend." I replied, pointing at the bed. Horace smiled and walked up to the bed, holding his hand out to Chase.7

"Nice to meet you." As expected, Chase was still unresponsive. "He's not very friendly, is he?"

I exchanged looks with Leo, my confidence in this man diminishing slightly. "So," Horace continued, "what kind of superhero is Chase? Other than an impolite one."

"He's not a superhero." Bree replied. "He's a human with a bionic chip that gives him superhuman abilities."

"Except for the ability to say hello." Adam grumbled. "Chase, you're embarrassing us!"

"Oliver, there you are!" A girl with brown and pink hair walked up and I immediately recognized her as Skylar Storm from my comic books. "What's going on? Who are these people?"

"I'll explain later," Kaz assured her, "but the short version is…" He pointed at Jaden, Leo, Adam, Bree, myself, then at Chase, "Cool weapon, bionic arm, super strength, super speed, super sassy, and super unconscious."

"Hi." Skylar nodded, acting as if stuff like this was an every day occurrence. But if you worked in a superhero hospital, I guess it might be.

"Can you help him?" I asked Horace. He nodded.

"Do not worry. I've got everything under control. Chase will be perfectly fine. But first, Kaz and Oliver, come with me." He ordered.

I nodded, watching Kaz and Oliver follow the man, then glanced at Chase. They'd better be able to help him, or…or I didn't know what I was going to do.

**Oliver's POV**

"Do not worry. I've got everything under control. Chase will be perfectly fine." Horace promised the others. I sighed in relief. Thank god. If Horace couldn't help Chase, I didn't know what else we were going to do. "But first, Kaz and Oliver, come with me."

Kaz and I followed Horace to the other side of the room. "Alright, I've got a conference to go to, but I'll brief you on what to do next."

I nodded. "Horace, I'm so relieved you can cure Chase."

"Oh me too." Horace smiled. "But there is one minor issue. I don't know how to cure Chase."

"What?" Kaz demanded, staring at Horace as he checked the vitals of another hero. Horace sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I've never seen biotechnology like that before." He admitted.

"Then why'd you say you could cure him?" Kaz demanded.

"Well, it's so much easier than telling people you can't cure them." He turned back to the superhero in the hospital bed. "Good news! I can cure you." But when he turned back to us, his expression said otherwise.

Kaz and I exchanged looks, then glanced back at the group. They all looked like they had so much trust in us, all expecting us to fix Chase. "This is bad." Kaz worried. "We insisted we bring Chase here. We promised that he'd be fine."

"Well if Horace can't cure him…we'll just have to figure out a way to do it ourselves. But in the meantime, let's just act confident and pretend everything's fine."

Just to prove how confident we were, we puffed out our chests and held our shoulders back, smiling at them. "Wow." I heard Leo murmur to Calla. "These guys seem really confident."

"Thank you for bringing us here and finding a cure for Chase." Adam smiled at us, rubbing his little brother's shoulder. Jaden nodded.

"I have to admit, I was beginning to have my doubts." He admitted. Bree smirked at him, then moved closer to me.

"Well I never doubted Oliver for a moment." She insisted, smiling charmingly. "I mean, just look at that confident face. Isn't it so trustworthy?"

The fact that I was had decided to have a particularly sour orange for a snack at that very moment may not have helped her point, but Bree continued to flirt, and she was kinda cute, so who was I to stop her?

"Listen, we need to stop the Incapacitator." Leo reminded us. "How long until Chase is good to go?"

I glanced at Kaz, nervously. We obviously couldn't tell them the truth, and Kaz was the better liar, so I let him continue. "I…I wouldn't really wait around for Chase." Kaz told them. I nodded.

"I think some of us should focus on stopping the Incapacitator and some of us should stay here with Chase who will be fine, I'm fully confident."

"Well you do look confident, so okay." Leo agreed after a moment.

"Alright, Calla, Leo, Kaz, and Jaden, you guys stay behind with Chase, and I'll go with Oliver because he is cute." Bree giggled, poking me on the nose.

"So are you." I replied, getting her to giggle again.

"I'll come too." Skylar suddenly appeared next to us.

"Yeah, I think these guys are okay without me, so I'll come as well." Jaden offered.

"Okay." Kaz stepped in. "Skylar and Jaden will go with you guys, and Adam will stay with us."

"Cool, what's this thing?" We turned to see Adam holding up a tiny reflex hammer.

"That's a reflex hammer." I replied. He nodded.

"Oh." He replied, tossing it over his shoulder. It hit Lizard Man in the head, knocking him to the ground because of his surprise. "Wow." Adam commented as Lizard Man stumbled to his feet. "He's got great reflexes."

"Okay, new plan." Calla commented. "Adam's on your team."

I sighed and led my team into the physical therapy room, hoping Kaz could come up with a way to save Chase.

**Calla's POV**

After twenty minutes of being at Mighty Med, the only thing Kaz did was have us move Chase to his own room. I wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad sign, but when Kaz took twenty minutes to check and recheck Chase's slowly dropping vitals, I was getting a bad feeling.

"Aren't you going to do something to help Chase?" I demanded as the digital clock changed again.

"Yeah, I just have to give him a urine test." Kaz replied after a moment. Leo and I both nodded. "Chase, you're in what hospital right now?"

"These guys are completely imbeciles." I muttered in horror.

"He's failed his you're-in test." Kaz told us, shaking his head.

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you?" Leo questioned.

"Before I answer that question, do either of you have any bionic ability to tell if someone's lying?" Kaz questioned.

"No." "I'm not even bionic, dude." Leo and I replied at the same time.

"Then I know exactly what I'm doing." Kaz lied.

"Liar." I accused, getting to my feet.

"So you do have a bionic lie detecting ability." Kaz accused.

"No, I'm just not stupid." I retorted angrily. "Chase needs help now, so do something! Or else."

"Are you threatening me?" Kaz looked more surprised than offended.

"Yes, I am." I growled, starting towards him. Leo grabbed my arm, stopping me before I could do anything.

"She's a little protective." He excused my actions, not that I was sorry. "But seriously, why aren't you doing anything?"

"I don't know how to help him. No one here knows biotech like this." Kaz explained. I sighed.

"So the only one who is smart enough to figure out how to cure Chase is Chase." Damn it, damn it, damn it. Could this get any worse?

"Hold on a second." Kaz suddenly grinned. "You just gave me an idea. Wait here."

With that, he ran out of the room. I sighed, sitting on the edge of Chase's bed. "He'd better have one hell of a good idea." I muttered. Leo gave me a sympathetic smile.

"He'll be okay, Calla." He promised me, his voice unnaturally soft. I nodded, despite the dread welling up inside me, and brushed my hair away from my face.

"Yeah, yeah okay." I let out a shaky breath. "It's just…"

"Yeah, I know." Leo nodded. "But freaking out doesn't help anyone, right?"

I nodded. "Right." I agreed.

"Neither does punching the doctor." He added. I laughed lightly.

"But he's not doing anything!" I insisted.

"Yes, I am." Kaz replied, coming back into the room, pushing a large kart. There was a strange device on top of it, something I'd never seen before.

"What is that?" Leo asked, frowning.

"This is a neoro-physilomigri…physilogigri…it's a brain switching machine." Kaz finished, unable to properly pronounce the device's name. He turned it out to show us the flat side that reminded me of a meat cutter. "We also use it to slice deli meat." He added.

"You're going to transfer Chase's brain into yours, cure Chase, then make a sandwich?" I questioned, wanting to make sure I understood this correctly. Because it sounded crazy.

"I hope so. I'm starving." Leo muttered.

"I'm not taking his entire brain." Kaz assured me. "Just his congiti…cogniti…his smarty bits."

"Right…okay…" I wasn't sure what that would entail, but at this point, I was willing to try anything. Kaz strapped a weird looking headband onto Chase's head, put one on himself, then pressed a button. Both headbands lit up, and it was almost like a weird, glowing mist passed between their heads. Both of them started to twitch, then as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

Kaz took off his headband, placing it back on the kart. "Did it work?" Leo asked.

"Well, the only way to know conclusively would have been if we measured my baseline intelligence level before the transfer," Kaz replied, "but based on my use of the phrase 'baseline intelligence level', yeah, I'd say it worked."

"So you can cure him now?" I demanded.

"Yes, but more importantly," He bent down and pulled a tray of meat out from the bottom of the kart. "Turkey or roast beef?"

"Dude!" Leo snapped. "Obviously roast beef!'

"What about you, Calla?" Kaz offered the tray to me, but I shook my head.

"I'll eat after you've fixed my boyfriend." I replied. Kaz nodded in understanding and placed the tray down.

"Alright, let's do that, shall we?" He offered, looking at Chase with a sceptical eye.

**Oliver's POV**

Determined to get everyone's mind off of Chase, we started working on a plan to beat the Incapacitator.

"Okay, so how do we find the Incapacitator anyway?" Jaden asked, pacing the room. "I mean, we can't beat him if we can't find him, right?"

"I've got an idea!" Adam and I said at the same time. I stepped back, letting Adam say his idea first.

"All we have to do is dress him up in a red and white striped shirt and glasses and tell him to go to a crowded beach." Adam declared. I rolled my eyes, then continued with my idea.

"While you're doing that, I'll go find Ambrose, our comic book artist. His visions allow him to see superheroes and villains and draw their location. He even sees them when they're sleeping. He's like Santa, but creepier and less jolly." I explained. Jaden looked at Bree and Adam.

"Dude, why can't any of you guys have cool abilities like that?" The older boy questioned. I started to leave, but he followed. "I'll come with you." He offered.

"Alright." I shrugged, figuring that he wanted to talk to me for some reason. I led us down the hall, and sure enough, I was right.

"Listen, Oliver, you're a good guy and all," he began, "so could you do me a favour?"

"Sure." I frowned, wondering what Jaden wanted from me.

"Please don't flirt with my girlfriend." He told me. I frowned.

"Your girlfriend?" It took a moment to click. "Bree?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Dude, she's flirting with me." I reminded him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I know. She's kinda pissed at me and she's trying to get back at me for something that happened earlier." He explained. I nodded; that made a little more sense. "But could you…you know, not encourage it?"

"I don't think I can stop her, but I'll try." I replied. He grinned.

"Thanks." He nodded. "By the way, is Chase really going to be okay?"

"I'm sure Kaz will do everything he can." I replied, hoping that we could save the super genius.

**Calla's POV**

Leo finally convinced me to eat something, but only after he'd made me a turkey sandwich and shoved it into my hands. I nibbled at it, not particularly hungry as I watched Kaz look Chase over, trying to think of a solution.

"Well?" I asked Kaz after a moment. "Have you figured out the problem?"

"Yes." Kaz nodded, a serious look on his face. "This sandwich needs more mayonnaise."

I raised an eyebrow at him and he continued. "Also, it seems that Chase's chip was de-stabilized by an excessive amount of negative ions blasted into it by the Incapacitator." That made sense, considering the force of the blast. "But we should be able to cure him with a positive static pulse."

"Yeah…yeah that could work." I agreed, going over it in my head. Kaz nodded.

"Stand back." He ordered, grabbing a device off a nearby table. He pressed a button and pressed it to Chase's chest, directly over his heart. Electricity coursed through his body and suddenly, Chase was awake and alert, looking around in bewilderment.

"You did it! It worked!" I nearly cried in relief.

"Yeah, this sandwich is much better with mayonnaise." Leo agreed. I elbowed him in the ribs and he looked up and grinned. "Oh, and Chase is cured."

"Sorta." I agreed, watching my boyfriend grab a rubber glove and put it over his head like a hat.

"Check me out. I'm a rooster." He joked. We stared at him for a moment, then he frowned and ripped the glove off his head. "What is wrong with me?"

"It's okay, relax. Everything's fine." I assured him, grabbing his hand. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I was fighting the Incapacitator, right?" He frowned, trying to think.

"Well, more like getting your ass kicked by the Incapacitator, but yeah." I agreed. "You were badly injured, and we didn't know how to help you, so we temporarily switched your intelligence with Kaz's so he could figure out how to cure you."

"I have Kaz's intelligence?" Chase looked at me, horrified. "I don't want to be…what's the word? I can't think of the word! My thinking place hurts!"

Before I could calm him down, there was a strange beeping coming from a wrist band that Oliver had attached earlier. "Kaz?" I said uncertainly. He pushed me back a bit, checking out the wrist band and then looking at the monitors.

Without explaining to Chase what was going on, Kaz pulled Leo and I to the side, a worried look on his face. "Chase's injury has created a hardware virus in his chip." He told us, cutting me off before I could say anything at all. "It's causing the chip to generate protonic energy."

"How bad is that in a human?" I asked, knowing it couldn't be good. Kaz sighed.

"He's stable for now, but if his blood pressure gets too high…he'll explode." I stared at him, hating how right he was.

"We can not let him know that, or his blood pressure will skyrocket!" Leo hissed. "How do we get the virus out of him?"

"Um, a normal virus sweep should root it out and get rid of that, but I don't know how to do it on his chip." Kaz replied. I shook my head.

"Chase could do it himself, but that would involve telling him what was going on, which is definitely a bad idea." I told them. "But the chips do a pre-scheduled scan on their own, once a week."

"How long until the next one?" Leo looked at me. I quickly checked my phone, glad that I stored copies of their data on it.

"Just over 48 hours." I groaned. "Okay, two days. We just need to keep him calm and relaxed for two days. How hard can it be?"

A bit of advice: never say 'how hard can it be', alright? It just leads to trouble. I realized that a second later when a loud alarm sounded off around the hospital, startling Leo, Kaz and I, and freaking out an already confused and disorientated Chase.

"Is that an alarm? Is that an attack? What's going on?" Chase demanded, clutching at my hand. Kaz opened the door to show people running through the halls. All except for that Horace guy, who seemed relatively calm.

"Horace, what's with the alarm?" Kaz demanded, looking at him.

"Don't worry, it's only a drill." The man replied.

"A drill for what?" Leo demanded.

"A test to see how panicky everyone gets when I set off a terrifyingly loud alarm!" Horace grinned. He looked at Chase. "You passed the test. You also passed the you're-in test. You're in a state of panic."

"No shit, Sherlock." I retorted, gently pushing Chase down on the bed in an effort to calm him. "Now that you've done your test, can you shut that off?"

"Wow, she's bossy." Horace retorted, looking at Kaz and Leo.

"You have no idea." Leo agreed. I sent him a glare. "But could you please shut it off?"

"Sure. Since you said please." Horace gave me an annoyed look and walked away. A moment later, the alarm shut off. I sighed.

"Leo, Kaz, why don't you guys tell Adam, Bree, and Jay that Chase is okay?" I suggested. "I'll catch Chase up to speed on everything else."

"Got it." Leo agreed. Kaz looked like he wanted to argue, but Leo had long ago learned to let me take charge in situations like this. The moment they were gone, I turned back to Chase.

"Easy…everything's okay." I assured him, climbing onto the bed with him. He gulped and nodded, still seeming upset but a little less freaked out.

"Where's the Incapacitator?" He demanded, trying to get up again.

"Adam, Bree, and Jaden are handling it." I told him.

"I should help." He tried to get up again, but I stopped him, pushing him back down into the pillows.

"You should lie down." I countered. He started to protest, but I didn't give him a chance. "Chase, you only just woke up. Give yourself a chance to recover before doing another stupid thing."

"You're mad about me going after the Incapacitator alone, aren't you?" He questioned, shifting in the bed so that there was more room for me to sit on it.

"Oh, I'm pissed that you would be that reckless." I agreed with a smile. "But we're going to save that discussion for later, alright? Right now, rest."

"Calla-" He began, but I gave him that sad, hurt puppy look that had always gotten me whatever I wanted.

"Please? You really scared me." I murmured. Chase looked at me, trying to figure out if I was faking. After a long moment, he sighed.

"Fine." He muttered in agreement, settling himself back into a comfortable position.

**Oliver's POV**

"We're back!" I called as Jaden and I walked back into the physical therapy room. Bree and Skylar looked like we'd walked in on some sort of heated argument, but we didn't pay it much mind.

"Hey, I ran into Leo in the hallway." Jaden said to Adam and Bree. "He said that Chase is going to be okay."

"He's awake?" Adam grinned. Jaden nodded.

"Kaz wants him to rest a bit, so we're not to expect him in the fight, but yeah, he's up and awake." Jaden assured them.

"Thank God." Bree sighed in relief. "Now we can focus on defeating the Incapacitator."

"Ambrose drew the location of the Incapacitator." I told them before pulling out the second piece of paper. "I also got him to draw this picture of the four of us."

It was a picture of me and Skylar in a car, together, Jaden with his plasma gun, Adam showing off his muscles, and Bree running faster than the car.

"That looks nothing like me." Adam looked offended. "My ears are nowhere near that small."

He pointed at the picture to prove his point, but he wasn't pointing at himself. "Adam, that's Skylar."

"Oh." He looked back at Skylar and wrinkled his face in disgust. "Eugh."

Skylar self-consciously drew some of her hair over her ears, even though there was nothing wrong with them at all. "Anyway, where's the Incapacitator?" She asked.

I looked at the picture Ambrose had given us. "According to this, he's at the Eiffel Tower. We need to stop him. We can use the wormhole transporter to get there."

"We're going to Paris? Boo-ya!" Adam exclaimed, slamming a small device to the ground in his excitement. He smiled guiltily when he realized what he'd done. "That broke."

Oh well. I'm sure it wasn't important. "Everyone huddle up."

Bree huddled really, really closely to me. I bit my lip, remembering what Jaden said, but before I could do anything about it, Skylar was already wedging herself between Bree and I. I sighed and pressed the button on the wormhole transporter. And suddenly, we were standing on top of the Eiffel Tower.

But to our surprise, the tower was empty, the Incapacitator no where to be found.

"Where's the Incapacitator?" Bree demanded, walking around the tower with a frustrated look on her face.

"Wait, let me see that." Skylar took the picture from me and examined it. "Look. There's a statue of Liberty and the Great Pyramid. And King Arthur's castle."

"That's not the Eiffel Tower in Paris. That's the replica in Las Vegas." I realized. Jaden grinned.

"I always did want to go to Vegas." He beamed at Bree, who had to fight to hide her smile.

"No wonder they call this the 'awful tower'." Adam announced.

"No Adam, it's pronounced Eiffel." Bree told him in an annoyed tone. "E-I-F-F-E-L."

"I'm pretty sure you just spelled falafel." Adam replied, rolling his eyes at her.

I sighed and looked back at the rest of the group. "Alright, no problem." I assured them. "We'll just use the wormhole transporter. It'll get us there in a matter of seconds."

"We're going to Vegas?" Adam grinned. "Boo-ya!"

Once again, he smashed an item into the ground. But this time, the item he threw was the wormhole transporter and instead of landing there, it bounced and fell off the tower, crashing to the ground below. Even if it didn't break, which is probably did, we'd never get it back.

"This is awful!" I exclaimed, upset.

"I believe it's pronounced falafel." Adam corrected. We all stared at him, wondering how he could do something so stupid.

"I can't believe you lost the wormhole transporter!" Skylar exclaimed angrily. "Now how are supposed to go to Las Vegas to stop the Incapacitator?"

Suddenly, there was a whoosh of air and Bree suddenly appeared next to us, eating…a falafel? What? "Where'd you get that?" I asked, confused.

"At a street fair, in Televieve." She replied with a grin. "All this talk about falafel made me want one. I also got a mini license plate with my name on it."

"Wait, that's it!" I grinned. "Your super speed, you can use it to carry all of us to Las Vegas."

"Good idea." Bree nodded. "One problem though. We're going over water, which means I can only carry one person at a time."

"So why don't you take one of us and run back for the other three one at a time?" Skylar suggested. Bree smirked, then nodded.

"I can do that." She agreed, looking directly at Jaden. "And I'll take Oliver first."

"I have a better idea. You take Adam, then Jaden, then Oliver, then me." Skylar suggested.

"I second that." Jaden agreed.

"And leave you alone with Oliver in the most romantic city on earth while I'm gone?" Bree challenged. "No thanks."

She pulled me away from Skylar, but Jaden interfered.

"Well I'm not letting you and Oliver go alone to Vegas. You know how many people get eloped there?" He argued.

"You think I'd elope with him?" Bree laughed at the ridiculous idea.

"Well I think you'd do anything to piss me off right now." Jaden retorted.

"Look guys." Adam interrupted their argument. "I don't care when I go, but I don't really want to be left alone, so…" He pulled me over to him, much too close for comfort.

"Okay stop. This is getting ridiculous!" I snapped at Jaden and Bree, who both looked away guiltily. I glanced at Adam, who was still holding me much too close. "And weird." I added, pulling away.

"There has to be a way we can do this in a way that works for everyone." Jaden sighed. I nodded.

"I have an idea." I grinned.

**Xxx**

Five minutes later, we were speeding across the ocean. Adam, Jaden, Skylar, and I were sitting in a kart, Bree dragging us along as she ran, never looking back once. I do have to admit, it was a genius plan, even when Skylar got hit by a jelly fish.

**Calla's POV**

I sighed in content, lying next to Chase in the hospital bed. Leo and Kaz were still gone, the latter to tell Horace about the problem and the former trying to find the cafeteria, so it was just Chase and I. He'd finally agreed to hang back, at least until we heard from Adam and Bree, so I'd taken the opportunity to relax.

"Some way to spend our anniversary huh?" Chase chuckled suddenly, his hand still combing through my hair. I smiled.

"It could be worse. We could be being hunted by the government again." I reminded him.

"Or fighting Krane." He agreed lightly. "Still…we had dinner reservations."

"I rented out the observatory." I admitted. "The eclipse was tonight…"

"That would have been amazing." Chase agreed. He kissed the top of my head. "I love you, Calla."

"I love you too." I turned around to give him a proper kiss when my phone decided to vibrate. "Damn it." I muttered, pulling it out of my pocket.

"Who is it?" Chase asked.

"Davenport." I replied, answering it. "Davenport Industries, Calla speaking."

" _How's Chase?"_  Straight to point.

"He's okay." I assured the man. No need to tell him about the possible explosion. "He says hi."

" _Thank God."_  Mr. Davenport sighed in relief. "For a second I thought…"

"Yeah, me too." I agreed, the lump in my throat returning. "But he's okay. The docs want to keep him here for observation-"

"Which is unnecessary." Chase added loudly. I heard Mr. Davenport chuckle on the other line.

"-for a couple of days." I continued, waving Chase off. "But after that, he's good to go."

Because after a couple of days, his software would remove the virus and everything would be back to normal.

" _That's alright…actually, it's probably a pretty good idea. Tell Chase he's to do as the doctors say. No checking out AMA."_  Mr. Davenport instructed. I gave Chase a pointed stare and a smirk.

"Oh trust me; I'm not giving him the chance." I assured my boss. Chase gave me an annoyed look, but didn't comment. There was some muffled talking on the other end. "Sir?"

" _Your mother wants to know what's going on with the Incapacitator. What's his current status?"_  Mr. Davenport questioned. "And where's my transponder?"

"You mean, your and Chase's transponder?" I corrected, earning a grateful grin from my boyfriend.

" _Calla…"_  Mr. Davenport warned. I sighed.

"I don't know." I admitted. Before he could say anything, I hastened to explain. "Leo, Kaz and I stayed here because of Chase. The others said they'd deal with it. I just…I needed to be here."

" _I understand."_  Mr. Davenport assured me.  _"I just wish I'd have some information on the situation."_

"I'll call you when I get an update, sir." I promised, glancing up as the doors open. "I've got to go."

" _Alright. Watch Chase. Keep him out of trouble."_  Mr. Davenport ordered.

"Easier said than done." I replied, hanging up as Leo and Kaz walked in.

"I've got hot tea and hot chocolate." Leo handed out drinks as I put my phone away.

"Hot tea?" Chase looked at him. "Since when do you drink hot tea?"

"I don't, but Calla said you do that when you're stressed. Calms you down." Leo shrugged, handing him the steaming thermos.

"But I am calm." Chase insisted.

"You weren't earlier." I retorted, sipping at my hot chocolate.

"Well maybe that's because someone let a high school student borrow my brain." Chase grumbled.

"I'm sorry, but I prefer a stupid you over a dead you. Deal with it." I retorted in annoyance. "Now drink your tea."

"You're bossy." Chase complained, even as he did what he was told. Suddenly, his phone beeped loudly.

"Who's that?" Kaz asked, drinking what I figured was a hot chocolate.

"Adam." Chase frowned, reading it. His eyes went wide. "Shit."

"Whoa!" I complained as Chase hurriedly climbed out of the bed, nearly pushing me off as he did. "Chase, what's going on?"

"Adam said that he and the others are on their way to fight the Incapacitator in Vegas. We have to go help them." He insisted.

"No!" I snapped, trying to stop him. Leo nodded in agreement.

"We can't." He insisted. "Fighting is stressful and you can't be stressed out right now."

"My brother and sister are in danger." Chase growled, not listening to either of us. "And I'm going to go help them."

He stormed out of the room without another word, pushing past nurses. By time we got out there, he was gone, lost in this maze they called a hospital. "Now what?" Leo demanded. "We can't let him fight."

"I think we should." I said quietly. Leo looked at me like I was crazy.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" He demanded.

"Look, Chase woke up with no idea where his brother and sister were and the first thing he hears about them is that they're fighting one of the biggest baddies he's ever seen. Keeping him here, against his will, will just make him more stressed and agitated." I insisted. "If we let him fight, his blood pressure may not go that high."

"May not." Leo repeated. "Meaning it might."

"It definitely will if we force him to stay here." I told him. Leo looked at me, then nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so." He agreed. Kaz looked at me.

"Calla, you go find Chase. Leo and I will find the hospital's invisible ambulance to take us to Las Vegas. But it might take a while; I forgot where it's parked. And it's invisible."

"Got it." I looked down the hallway and headed down the one to the left, only to smack right into something hard. I stumbled back a step, holding my nose in pain.

"Found it." Leo called. I glared at him angrily, heading in the other direction.

**Chase's POV**

"Another wrong turn, seriously?" I demanded, getting annoyed when I opened the door to another closet. Getting out of this damn hospital was impossible! If I'd had my bionic intelligence, I would have surely been able to find my way out, but for now, I was stuck.

"You're mad." A voice said from behind me.

"A bit, yeah." I replied, not turning to look at her. I heard Calla sigh.

"Can we talk about this?" She insisted, sounding upset. I sighed, frustrated.

"I need to get to Adam and Bree." I told her.

"They're in Vegas. Good luck with that." She replied, grabbing my arm. "Hey."

"Look." I sent her an angry glare, annoyed with how overprotective she was being. It wasn't like her to be so…so insistent on staying out of a fight and my siblings needed me. If the Incapacitator hurt them like he hurt me because I wasn't there to help, I would never forgive myself. "I'm fine, Calla. You need to stop freaking out about it."

"Well I'm sorry for 'freaking out about it'." She growled sarcastically. "But you need to calm down."

"No, you do." I retorted, looking down the hall for an exit sign. "I got hurt, you were worried, I get it. But-"

"No you don't." Calla interrupted, staring at me.

"Excuse me?" I looked at her, confused. I was alright now. Why were there tears in her eyes? "What don't I get?"

"Chase, I just spent the last few hours terrified that the boy I love was never going to wake up again!" She exclaimed, eyes watery. "You were hurt and I didn't know what to do. Our situation has never been reversed. It's never been me that's hurt, so don't say that you get it when you don't, alright?"

"Calla-" I began, but she didn't give me the chance.

"No, Chase! Maybe I'm being a little over-protective, but can you blame me? I almost lost you. You almost died!" Her voice broke on that last word, tears threatening to break free. She took a moment to recollect herself, then, "I thought you were going to die."

"Hey." I didn't need my genius to know what to do next. I pulled Calla into my arms. She stilled for a moment, her anger making her resist the comfort, but I felt her head fall onto my shoulder a moment later. "I'm alive, okay? I'm alright. You and Kaz and Leo cured me."

She stiffened at that, but didn't say anything. "I shouldn't have gotten mad, and I should have made sure you were alright before brushing off what happened." Nearly dying on missions had become increasingly common in the past few months, but it occurred to me that this was the closest I'd come. And while I may have been out for all of it, Calla had been wide awake and terrified. "I'm sorry. But I do need to help Adam and Bree."

"I know." Calla pulled away, eyes red but her cheeks still dry. She rubbed at her eyes with one hand, forcing herself to calm down. "But can we at least do this my way?"

"Which is?" I asked gently, one hand rubbing her arm. She finally looked at me, catching my hand with hers.

"You fight, but you be careful out there. No unnecessary risks, no reckless stunts, okay? And then we come back here to make sure you're really okay." She looked at me steadily, her anger and frustration returning. I smiled at that, glad that she hadn't started crying. Calla rarely cried, but the sound of it broke my heart into a million pieces and right now, I didn't think that was anything either of us needed. There would be time later, when the Incapacitator was gone and we were out of this place, to soothe any remaining fears and anger and to make sure she was truly okay. But I think we could both sense that now wasn't the time.

"Alright. Sounds like a plan." I agreed. She nodded, forcing a smile.

"Great. Now how do you feel about taking a ride in an invisible ambulance?" She asked, her tone falsely cheerful.

**Oliver's POV**

It only took Bree about ten minutes to speed us across the ocean from Paris to Las Vegas, but by time we got there, she was winded.

"Wow, I am spent." She complained, pulling a piece of seaweed off of her. "When did running 6000 miles over mountain, desert, and ocean become so exhausting?"

"Adam might have made things worse by dragging that giant tuna those last 3000 miles." I admitted. Bree frowned and looked at Adam, who was holding the massive fish up proudly. Suddenly, it was blasted out of his hands.

We turned to see the Incapacitator standing across from us, his eyes narrowed at us. "People come to Vegas for many reasons. I guess you came to be incapacitated."

"And for the buffet." Adam added.

"Adam, blast wave. Now." Jaden ordered, pulling out his plasma gun as Adam did as he was told. The blast wave hit the Incapacitator, but didn't do anything but make him stronger.

"The Incapacitator is absorbing his energy!" Skylar exclaimed seconds before the Incapacitator blasted Adam back. Fortunately, while it was still a pretty bad blow, it was nowhere near the strength of the one that hit Chase earlier.

"Now, with the Davenport transponder, I can absorb all the power7 in the world and plunge the earth into darkness."

He raised the transponder and electricity flew to it from everything in sight. It was a mere seconds before the entire city of Las Vegas was in total darkness, maybe even the whole world.

"Give it up, Incapacitator. You're totally outnumbered." Skylar snapped, and she was right. Five against one, he had no chance. The Incapacitator blasted a wave of energy from his body, but instead of attacking us with it, he created two copies of himself, changing the odds. Skylar glanced at us, counting, then looked back at the Incapacitator. "Technically, you're still outnumbered, so my statement holds up."

The Incapacitator didn't answer, instead charging at us. Bree sped t the first one, pushing him back to the far end of the of the tower. Skylar took the second one, using her incredible flexibility and gymnastic skills to land some nice punches and to dodge his every attack. Adam ran to Bree, helping her up when the Incapacitator nearly knocked her off the tower and attacking the bad guy in revenge.

Meanwhile, Jaden and I tried to fight off our own Incapacitator. I attacked him with a metal stick I found, but it hardly did anything. "Jaden, you want to shoot him any time soon?" I demanded. Jaden let out a curse.

"He drained the energy from the plasma gun!" He cursed. He looked at the gun, then sighed. "My sister's going to kill me for this." He muttered, turning the blaster in his hands so that he was holding it like a baseball bat. He charged at the Incapacitator, hitting him the butt of the gun, but it had about as much affect as my stick. The Incapacitator shot a ball of electricity at me and Jaden, knocking us both to the ground.

Just when he was about to finish us off, Skylar and Bree came to our rescue, knocking our Incapacitator to the ground. They shared a grin, then looked at us. Before they could say anything, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. "Look out!" I called, but it was too late.

The Incapacitator knocked Bree out of the way, and pushed Jaden and I into the railings of the tower. While we desperately tried to regain our balance before either of us fell, the Incapacitator kicked Skylar in the gut, sending her to the ground.

"Goodbye, Skylar Storm." He announced, ready to attack. But the most surprising thing stopped him.

"Hello Incapacitator." Leo appeared behind him suddenly, a smirk on his face. He punched the Incapacitator in the stomach, throwing him across the tower. I looked to my left to see Calla and Kaz climbing out of Mighty Med's invisible ambulance, Chase already running to help the others.

The genius ran straight to his brother's side, ducking under the arm of his Incapacitator, pulling himself up on the bars, and kicking the bad guy in the face.

"Kaz, you cured Chase!" I exclaimed happily. Calla gave me a quick shake of her head, adjusting her electric glove blaster.

"Not really. He's going to blow up." I stared at Kaz when he said that, then looked back at Chase. He looked fine, in my opinion, moving around and fighting as if he'd never been hurt. He helped Adam to his feet, his older brother grinning brightly before they returned to the fight. "He has a hardware virus that's building up energy in his chip."

"Meaning?" I demanded, looking at them.

"If his blood pressure gets too high, he may explode." Calla replied, sounding agitated. She grit her teeth in frustration. "There's a simple solution this, I know that, but I just can't think of it."

"He has a hardware virus?" I confirmed, realizing what the girl was missing. "Those can-"

"-be transferred from one device to another. I'm way ahead of you." Kaz interrupted me. I stared at him, shocked that he knew that. "I'm super smart now. I'll explain later."

"You're right, but how do you propose that we transfer the virus?" Calla demanded. "I mean, it's not exactly easy to do that with bionics."

"Don't worry, I've got a plan." Kaz assured her. She gave him a look that told him that she probably didn't trust his idea, but didn't have another choice.

Suddenly, there was a loud shout from our left. The Incapacitators threw our friends to the ground in front of us, glaring at all of us. "I hope you're all ready to be destroyed."

"I have a plan!" Kaz shouted loudly. "Chase, quick! Jump off the tower!"

"Do you maybe have a different plan?" Chase retorted, looking at Kaz like he was crazy.

"You've got protonic energy building inside your chip. You can't let him absorb it, or he'll be unstoppable!" Kaz continued.

"He has protonic energy in him?" The Incapacitator grinned. "I'll take that, thank you very much."

The Incapacitator raised his hand, energy flooding from Chase's body to his. Adam, Leo, Skylar, Bree, and Jaden looked horrified, unaware of what the Incapacitator was really doing, but even Calla, who knew the plan, seemed torn between stopping this and letting it happen.

"What's he doing to him?" Bree demanded angrily as the Incapacitator stopped draining the energy, Chase falling onto his back. He was conscious, thankfully only winded by the energy drain.

"Chase is fine, Bree." Calla smiled cheekily. "All the Incapacitator did was remove the virus."

"Virus? What virus?" The Incapacitator demanded, confused. Kaz smirked.

"You know, the one that makes you explode if your blood pressure gets excessively high, like if you realized that some kid in high school just tricked you and ruined your entire plan." Kaz grinned mockingly. The Incapacitator glared at him furiously.

"What?!" He shouted, beginning to glow.

"Like that." Kaz smirked. "Everybody duck!"

Everyone that wasn't already on the ground hit the floor, covering their heads and vital organs. The Incapacitator glowed brightly, shouting in pain as he exploded into a bright green light. I looked away, protecting my eyes.

When I looked back, the Incapacitator was gone and light had returned to the city. We slowly got to our feet, double checking to make sure that the Incapacitator was really gone.

"We did it." Leo grinned.

"It actually worked." Calla smiled. Kaz looked at her.

"Did you ever doubt me?" He questioned. She nodded.

"Yeah. Ever since the you're-in test." She replied before hugging Chase. Her boyfriend pulled away, a confused look on his face.

"Hey, where's Adam?" He demanded. We looked around, trying to find him when I suddenly spotted him poking out from behind one of the tower's beams, dressed in red and white stripes and glasses, like Where's Waldo would be.

"There he is." I told the others, pointing him out, though there was no need to.

"Oh man." Adam complained. "I'm falafel at hiding."

**Chase's POV**

After Calla explained the whole virus thing to me again, I insisted on going back to Mighty Med to get my intelligence back from Kaz. While I was annoyed that I wasn't informed of the possibility of me exploding, I could see the logic in not telling me, so I let it go. They did the right thing, considering the situation.

The device that they used to switch the intelligences was actually pretty cool. And the process, while uncomfortable, was not painful in the slightest. But I wasn't entirely confident in its ability.

I turned to the doctor in charge, a man called Horace Diaz, the second the device turned off. "Did it work? Please tell me our intelligences switched back! Please!"

"Check it out." Kaz chuckled. I turned to see him holding a blown-up surgical glove over his stomach. "I'm a diary cow."

I breathed a sigh of relief, even as Leo commented, "It worked."

"Are we good now?" Calla looked at me, an amused light in her eyes.

"Yeah, we're good." I agreed. She laughed lightly, her hand finding mine.

"Oliver, Kaz, congratulations. Well done." Horace shook both Oliver and Kaz's hands, then turned to me. "See? That's how you respond to an offer of a handshake."

"…Okay." I responded as he walked away. I looked at Calla, questioning what that was about, but she was already smirking as if something funny had happened. Oh well. No need to remove that smile from her face.

The others seemed to be in good moods as well, Leo, Oliver, and Skylar talking about who knows what and Adam and Kaz laughing at something stupid. Bree and Jaden were the only ones not in the room.

"Where are Jay and Bree?" I asked, confused. Calla smirked.

"I saw them sneak into the broom closet at the end of the hall." She told me, grinning.

"Why would they…right." So maybe some of Kaz's lesser intelligence still lingered. "Well, good to know that they're not fighting anymore."

"Yeah, I guess so." Calla kissed me on the lips before stepping away to talk to Oliver. I glanced at Leo.

"Time to go?" I guessed. He nodded.

"Yeah, I guess." He agreed. "But this place is awesome, right?"

"Totally." I agreed. I saw Calla pull out her phone, typing something in before handing Oliver a piece of paper. "So, do you want to interrupt Bree and Jaden's make-out session, or should I?"

"I'll do it." Leo smirked evilly, heading towards said broom closet.

"Adam, come on." Calla called, climbing into the kart Bree had used to transport everyone back here. I climbed in next to her, noticing that she was looking at her phone.

"Oliver gave me his and Kaz's numbers, in case we had an emergency or just wanted to hang or something. I figured it would be a good idea to give them ours." She explained. I nodded.

"Good idea." I agreed, sliding over as Jaden settled himself into the seat next to me. "We'll see you guys another time." I told Oliver.

"Yeah. Come and visit us anytime." He agreed.

"Bye guys." Adam called. "Sorry for breaking so much of your stuff."

Adam attempted to push open the exit doors, only succeeding in breaking them. Oliver sighed,

"The doors open automatically." He deadpanned.

"Not any more." Adam replied. Calla let out a sigh.

"Adam, get in the kart." She instructed. He grinned and climbed in, waving as Bree sped us back home.

**Oliver's POV**

"Well, they were nice." I mentioned to the others the moment they were gone. Kaz nodded.

"Yeah, but I still didn't get bionics." He grumbled.

"You didn't ask Calla or Leo?" Skylar questioned. Kaz nodded.

"I asked Calla, but she said that she didn't even know how to give someone bionics. Only her boss and his brother do, and they were about as likely to give me bionics as they were a monkey."

"A bionic monkey?" I chuckled at the idea. Kaz shrugged.

"Adam thought it was a good idea." He replied, just as Horace walked into the room.

"Where're your friends?" He asked, confused. I gestured at the broken doors.

"They left." I replied.

"Without saying goodbye?" Horace was offended. "What, were they raised in a basement?"


	16. Space Elevator

** Chase's POV **

"Morning." I greeted, walking into the main classroom. For once, there wasn't a single student (aside from Leo, of course) in there. Today was the last day of the semester, or as close as we can figure (since the school year was 12 months long instead of 10, it was harder to estimate the semester lengths) so the students were enjoying a well deserved break before we gave them the announcements about their grades later today. Even so, I was surprised that I'd been given the chance to sleep in – Adam, Leo, or Bree usually woke me up by now in some annoying way. I wrapped my arms around Calla's mid-section, watching as she typed on her computer. "What are you doing?"

"Working on a project." She replied distractedly.

"Heads up." Mr. Davenport called, walking in. "We've got a visitor on the way."

"Is it a government agent coming to take us away?" Adam demanded.

"Our secret's been out for more than a year – why would they take us away now?" I questioned, looking at him.

"Let's just say I've done some things." He told us ominously. I shrugged, then looked at Mr. Davenport.

"So, who's the visitor?" I asked, curious.

"Dr. Ryan." Mr. Davenport replied, looking at Calla. She perked up at the sound of his name.

"Dr. Ryan's coming? Really?" She grinned. "Awesome."

"Who's Dr. Ryan?" Bree questioned.

"My chief scientist." Mr. Davenport replied. "He is by far the smartest man I've ever worked with." I cleared my throat loudly, catching his attention. "Oh, you're right Chase, I'm sorry. I'm the smartest man I've ever worked with."

"Dr. Ryan was head of his class at MIT. And he's been Davenport Industries' Employee of the Month three times. That's never happened. Well, except, of course, for me."

"You named yourself employee of the month at your own company?" Leo questioned. Mr. Davenport nodded. "I think you love you a little too much."

"It's not because I love myself. It's because I'm better than everyone else." He retorted.

"Yeah. Davenport's been employee of the month sixteen times in the past four years, Dr. Ryan's been it three times, and I've gotten it twice." Calla mentioned just as the hydroloop tunnel opened.

A skinny, black haired guy in his mid to late twenties walked out, grinning. "Hey, hey! Sup dudes, lady dudes."

Bree gave him a once-over. "This is your esteemed chief scientist?" She asked incredulously.

"And employee of the month." Dr. Ryan added. "Got the parking space and everything. I don't drive, but my mom uses it when she picks me up. That's right. Twenty-six and still living rent free in my parent's basement. Jealous?"

"Totally." Calla replied sarcastically, but Dr. Ryan grinned.

"Calla!" They fist-bumped each other. "Long time, no see, lady dude."

My girlfriend laughed at that. "Yeah, too long." She agreed with a smile. "So, what are you doing here, anyway?"

"Dr. Ryan is here to construct and test Davenport Industries' new Space Elevator." Mr. Davenport replied, walking over to the main computer.

"Space elevator?" I demanded. But that was my project!

"You see, this is why people are out of shape. You should be building space stairs." Adam told Mr. Davenport before heading off to meet up with Rio.

"It's a highly advanced transport that climbs a tether all the way to our space station. Since it's held up by gravity, we can resupply without ever using a rocket." Dr. Ryan explained. "Chase, you look confused and/or constipated. Do you have a question?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, looking at Mr. Davenport. "Why is he working on this? The Space Elevator was my project. I've been working on it for years!"

"Yes, but I had to pass it off so you could focus on being a mentor." Mr. Davenport explained. "Don't worry; Dr. Ryan's been working off your research."

"You gave him my research?!" I demanded, upset.

"Yes, and it's been very helpful." Dr. Ryan assured me. "It's always good to know what's wrong so you can find what's right."

Okay, no. This guy was going to be doing this. Not if I had a say in it. "Mr. Davenport, you can't let him do this."

"Check his résumé, Chase. He's one of the greatest minds of our time." He replied. We glanced back at Dr. Ryan who was showing Calla, Adam, and Leo an app on his phone.

"I just designed a photo app that puts your face on a dog's butt." He chuckled, showing me. Adam grinned.

"No argument here; this guy's a genius." He chuckled.

** Xxx **

"So that'll be the launch pad for the space elevator." Mr. Davenport told Dr. Ryan, pointing out the location. He had chosen to use the main deck outdoors, partially because of the size of the deck and partially because it wasn't close to water, so he wouldn't have to worry about the high tide messing up his debut launch. "So what do you think?"

"I'll have to do some calculations, but sounds legit." Dr. Ryan replied, grinning.

"I already did the calculations. In my head. They're totally legit." I mimicked him at the end, narrowing my eyes at the wannabe. Calla rolled her eyes at me.

"Chase." She warned gently before glancing at Dr. Ryan. "But he's right. The calculations have all been done – the location will work perfectly for the space elevator."

"Then if you'll excuse me, I have to get to work." He announced before jumping onto the coffee table and beginning what appeared to be an air-guitar solo.

"What is he doing?" I demanded, looking at Calla. She and Mr. Davenport were both smirking.

"Shh. It's his process." She told me, laughing lightly.

"This isn't fair!" I looked at Mr. Davenport. "You can't let him build my elevator without me!"

"You know what? You're right." Mr. Davenport agreed before turning back to the air-guitarist. "Dr. Ryan?"

"I'm in the bridge, I am in the bridge." Dr. Ryan insisted, only pausing his air-guitar for a brief moment. Much to my annoyance, Mr. Davenport waited patiently for him to finish. After finishing with the solo, and thanking the imaginary audience, Dr. Ryan walked back to us. "Proceed."

"I want Chase to join you on the project." Mr. Davenport told him. "As your assistant."

"What?" I demanded, staring at him. "This guy is a joke! I bet he doesn't even know anything about tensor equations."

"Not much." Dr. Ryan agreed. "Jus that tensors are used to represent correspondences between geometric vectors for applications in Newtonian physics."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised that he actually knew that. "Roughly." I grumbled, annoyed.

"He's got you there, baby." Calla patted my shoulder gently before looking at Dr. Ryan. "Obviously, I can help too, right? I have to help Mr. Davenport with a presentation first, but I can be here right after."

"Yeah, of course. Both of you can be my assistants." He assured her.

"Mr. Davenport…" I complained, not liking this idea at all.

"C'mon Chase, you guys are going to make a terrific team." He assured me.

"Don't worry, assistant dude. I'll make sure you are very involved in the process." Dr. Ryan assured me. "I'll even let you play air drums. Here, catch the sticks."

He tossed invisible sticks at me, and out of instinct, I caught them. Then he, Mr. Davenport, and Calla all started playing the air-guitar, grinning while they did so.

Having had enough of all the joking around, I walked away, tossing away the invisible sticks as I left.

** Bree's POV **

I smiled proudly at the group of students in front of us. The entire Academy, except for Chase who was working on a project with Dr. Ryan, were here to hear Mr. Davenport's announcement.

"As we come to the end of our first scholastic term, here at the Donald Davenport World Famous Bionic Academy-" Mr. Davenport began, only for me to interrupt him.

"I'm pretty sure that's not the name." I mentioned loudly, earning smirks from a couple of the students.

"Pretty sure you didn't pay for it." Mr. Davenport retorted. "After reviewing all your performances, I'm happy to say that you will all be moving up a color level."

"Awesome!" There were exclamations of joy coming from many of the students. Perry started handing out different coloured shirts and I smiled as Kieran and Rio both came over to us, both holding red shirts. Rio was positively beaming, though Kieran looked a little distracted.

"This is the highest level, right?" Rio questioned, pulling the new shirt over her head with a grin. "So what's next? We become mentors?"

"Yeah…no." Calla shook her head, laughing. She quieted down a moment later, looking up as Mr. Davenport continued his announcement.

"And Leo will be moving up two color levels." He added.

"Whoo!" "Way to go Leo!" We called, watching as he took the black and orange shirt from Perry.

"Thank you, thank you." He looked pretty surprised. "You know, as a young boy, I never dreamed I'd-"

"Just put the shirt on!" Someone, likely Spin, shouted from the crowd. Leo didn't have to be told twice as he pulled the black and orange shirt on, only to discover that it was three, if not four, sizes too big.

"It's a bit big, don't you think?" He commented dryly, looking at Mr. Davenport.

"Oh, my bad." Perry apologized. "I got cold last night, so I wore it to bed. I must have stretched it in my sleep."

"Why didn't you get a blanket?" Leo questioned.

"Because I wanted to stretch your shirt." She replied. Mr. Davenport rolled his eyes.

"Leo, there should be extra shirts in the supply closet near classroom 4. Help yourself." He offered as the crowd dispersed. Leo nodded and walked away. I was just about to go talk with Rio about possibly double-dating with her and Adam, but Mr. Davenport stopped us.

"Look guys, I didn't want to say this in front of the other students, but not everyone passed." He told us solemnly. Adam nodded.

"I've been expecting this, and I've already written my letter of resignation." He announced, pulling a white envelope out of his shirt.

"Not you." Mr. Davenport told him. "There's still one student stuck at the lowest level – yellow."

"Who?" I asked, surprised. Just then, Bob walked in, the yellow on his shirt too obvious to miss.

"Yellow." He greeted Spin, grinning at the new color of his friend's shirt.

"Wait, Bob's failing?" I sighed. "But he tries so hard."

And he really did. Some students rarely tried at all and still made the top of the class, but Bob worked so hard to keep up with them.

"Yeah, but he's just not tough enough." Mr. Davenport replied. "I'm worried he doesn't have the fight it takes to become a bionic hero. Watch this." He turned to face the rest of the group. "GUYS! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

Everyone student jumped into a fighting position, while Bob ran away, screaming like a frightened child. I sighed.

"We have to help him." I declared. Adam nodded, but Calla looked hesitant. "What?"

"I promised Dr. Ryan and Chase I'd help them with the space elevator." She replied. "I've got an idea, though. Give the rest of the students the day off, and you two give Bob some private lessons."

"Are you sure?" Adam looked at her. Calla nodded.

"Yeah. I've been giving students private lessons for months now. Spin mostly, but a few others including Kate, Rio, and Charles."

"Alright. Good idea." I agreed. We were going to make sure Bob graduated to the next level. I looked over my shoulder to see how many students were left in the room. Not many, just Rio and Kieran, who were both sitting on the steps. I frowned, noticing some tension in Kieran's shoulders, and walked over. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Kieran lied through his teeth, his shirt in his hands. Calla sat down next to him.

"Talk to us, K-Dog. Is it about the shirt?" She asked. He shook his head quickly.

"What? No! The shirt's great. I love it." He insisted.

"Then…" I encouraged him to continue. When he didn't, Rio sighed softly.

"Rebeccka broke up with him." She told us, rubbing her brother's back sympathetically.

"Oh, K-Dog! I'm sorry." Calla cooed softly, one hand on his knee.

"What happened?" I asked gently, knowing that Rebeccka wouldn't break up with him for no good reason. He shrugged.

"She said that the whole long-distance thing wasn't working out." He frowned. "She was my first girlfriend."

"She didn't deserve you." Rio declared.

"The first heart-break is always the worst." I told Kieran gently. "But it'll get better."

"Yeah, okay." He agreed sullenly. Calla smiled suddenly.

"Hey, you want to come watch Chase and Dr. Ryan work on a space elevator? They keep arguing over who's the smarter genius and face it – we all know they're going to screw something up."

Kieran chuckled at that. "Okay." He let Calla pull him to his feet and drag him away with her and Leo. I looked at Adam. Time to deal with Bob.

** Chase's POV **

I looked around in disgust. There were papers across the deck, work tables put in the most random of spots, and scrap metal lying around haphazardly. How could anyone work in this kind of environment?

"Look at this mess." I shook my head. "Don't you know how to clean up after yourself?"

Dr. Ryan stepped out of the space elevator. "Chase, geniuses can't be bothered with little things like cleaning and um…personal hygiene."

"Really? Because I have no problem cleaning up after myself." I retorted, motioning to my living quarters. They were perfectly clean, as usual.

"And that's what makes you a good assistant." Dr. Ryan replied with a smirk.

"I am not your assistant!" I shouted angrily. "I'm a genius! I am!"

"Right. Aren't you like a really smart robot?" He smirked. "Which button do I push to make you go away?"

"I am not a robot!" I snarled, slapping his hands away. "But you are pushing my buttons."

"Okay, you want to go?" He stepped into a fighting stance. "I take karate lessons every Saturday at the mall!"

"Oh yeah? Karate, huh?" I shook my head. "What, does your mommy drive you to that too?"

"No. I ride my bike." He retorted.

"Oh, you ride your bike? With its training wheels?" I challenged.

"They're not training wheels! They're horizontal stabilizers!" He snapped. Okay, this guy was seriously getting on my nerves.

"Hey!" "Guys!" Just as I was about to punch the guy, Calla, Kieran, and Leo showed up. I noticed that Leo was wearing an orange shirt instead of a yellow one. Oh, he finally got promoted a couple of levels. Good for him. Kieran hade been promoted too, from orange to red.

"Break it up." Leo ordered. Dr. Ryan looked at him.

"Why's he here?" He questioned.

"Big D thought I should help you guys out." Leo replied.

"Fighting? Really guys?" Calla gave us both harsh looks. "You need to set aside your differences and work together. Like now."

"Fine." "Whatever." We grumbled, backing off.

"I'll run some algorithms for the tether gravity test, Chase you can go over to that support column and screw in the lug nuts."

"Or, I can use my bionic intelligence to work on the algorithm while you screw in the lug nuts." I retorted. No way I was doing what this idiot said.

"Well, Davenport said you work for me, so…" He handed me a wrench. "Lug it up, robo-tron."

Dr. Ryan started to walk away, Kieran and Leo following him. Calla turned to me and sighed.

"Alright, talk to me." She told me, grabbing the wrench out of my hands and walking over to the support beam. She began to screw in the lug nuts herself, ignoring all of my attempts to do it for her. "Well?"

I gave her a quick run-down on what happened and she sighed. "You guys need to work together, Chase."

"Have you met the guy? He's impossible to work with!" I retorted. She glanced back at me before moving onto the next lug nut.

"I've worked with him dozens of time, and I happen to like him." She told me. I nodded.

"Yeah, I noticed." I agreed. She turned around and faced me, the wrench tapping impatiently against her arms as she crossed them.

"Are you jealous?" She questioned incredulously. I sighed.

"No." I replied. She raised an eyebrow. "I'm pissed that he's getting to be in charge of the space elevator, but I'm jealous of your guys' friendship."

"Good, because that's all it is – a friendship." She insisted.

"I just…you act differently around him. More relaxed, more careless."

"Carefree and careless are two different things, Chase." She sat down on a crate nearby, looking at me.

"I don't understand why you're so close with him. You've been grinning non-stop since he's been here." I mentioned. She sighed, shrugging.

"I don't know. He's just…a nice change from routine, you know?" She shrugged. "He's funny – not that you're not – and maybe with all the crazy crap that's happened over the past few weeks, it's nice to have a laugh here and there. A little bit of a vacation from normal. But if it helps, I'll tell him to knock it off with the robot jokes."

"Alright, thank you." I tried to grab the wrench from her, but she pulled it out of my reach. "You're not going to let me screw in a single lug nut, are you?"

"Nope." She laughed. I smirked.

"Fine. If you won't let me work, I won't let you work." I replied mischievously. She frowned.

"What are you-Chase!" She broke off with a laugh, still smiling as I pushed her up against the support beam, our lips crashing into each other.

** Bree's POV **

"Okay, Bob." I pulled the younger boy into the training area as most of the other students left. There were still a few hanging around, but they pretty much kept to themselves. I handed Bob a pair of boxing gloves, which he put on. "As mentors, it's our job to help you. So, we're going to toughen you up."

"Okay." Bob nodded eagerly, wanting to learn.

"Now, you're on a mission." Adam told him, holding up a punching pad. "Hundreds of lives are at stake and the only way to save them is to punch this pad as hard as you can. What do you do?"

"I'm going to call you guys." Bob replied instantly.

"…Okay." I shrugged. It wasn't a bad answer, I suppose. "And what if we don't answer?"

"I'm going to leave a message and wait for you to call me back." He decided. I sighed. This was going to be much harder than I thought.

"No, Bob. You need to punch the pad." Adam told him.

"Right. Punch the pad. I've got this. I…" He pulled his hand back like he was going to punch it, but stopped himself. "…don't want to punch the pad."

"Why not?" I questioned, starting to lose my patience.

"Well, what did that pad ever do to us?" He replied, sounding confused.

"Nothing, but if you want to pass, you have to hit it. You know you have super-strength, right?" I looked at him.

"Yeah, but…I don't want to use it for fighting. I want to use it for really important stuff. Like opening peanut butter jars. And jelly jars. And pickle jars. You see where I'm going with this?"

I sighed. "Let's take a break." I decided. Bob nodded, walking away. I turned to Adam. "This is hopeless. Bob's never going to move up to green."

"You're right." Adam agreed. "We'll just have to demote everyone else back down to yellow."

"Or…" I thought of a great idea. "Maybe we need somebody else to teach him. Someone who doesn't care about his feelings. Someone who can crush his spirit and make him snap."

"Move it!" Perry chose that moment to walk in, pushing students out of her way. Adam and I exchanged grins, knowing that she was the perfect person for the job. "T-Bone, Lipstick, get on over here and hold down the dummy. I need to work off my morning meatloaf."

Adam nodded and walked over to hold the dummy still while Perry wailed on it, while I tried to think of a way to convince her to help Bob.

** Chase's POV **

"Looks like we are ready to launch." I heard Dr. Ryan announce as I raced back from the washroom. I had only been gone five minutes, but in that time, Dr. Ryan had gathered most of the Academy to see the launch.

"Hold it!" I shouted, skidding to a stop between Mr. Davenport and Calla. "I thought I told you guys not to start without me."

"Chase, geniuses can't be bothered-" Dr. Ryan began, but I cut him off.

"I am a genius! Stop telling me what geniuses do!" I snapped.

"I'm very impressed, you guys." Mr. Davenport told us, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Because of you, we're about to make history."

"Yes, thanks to my expert engineering." Dr. Ryan smirked. "And if it wasn't for Chase, the lug nuts would still be in a tin can."

"I didn't do the lug nuts." I growled. "Calla did."

"And I did them well." She smirked before glancing at Dr. Ryan. "But you have to give Chase equal part of the credit. Even though you did most of the physical work, you would still be years away from this accomplishment without his research."

"Maybe." Dr. Ryan grumbled, even as I wrapped my arms around Calla's waist. Mr. Davenport stepped out in front of the space elevator, smiling at the crowd of students. Kieran was near the front, alongside Spin.

"Behold, ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at the world's first space elevator, and my new haircut. Which one's more impressive? Only time will tell." He announced, the crowd clapping. I glanced at the space elevator, a bad feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. Something was off – I just knew it.

"Don't you think I should do a microscopic scan with my bionic eye first? Just to make sure-" But Dr. Ryan cut me off before I could finish.

"Trust me. My work is flawless. I graduated college when I was fourteen."

"Oh yeah? Well I graduated high school after two years." I retorted. Not that big of an accomplishment, but college nor university had ever seemed like a priority since Mr. Davenport practically promised me his company once he retired.

"Whatever. Calla, I'm going to need your help for a second." Dr. Ryan motioned for my girlfriend to follow him to the main consol. I assumed the were just checking fuel, so I walked over to Leo, still looking at the elevator.

"You showed him." He commented, not looking up from his laptop.

"I'm going to do the scan anyway." I told him.

"Of course you are." He still didn't look up, almost as if he knew I was going to say that. I looked up at the elevator tower, focusing my bionic eye on it. I almost laughed when I realized that I was right.

"Aha! There's a design flaw in the breaking system. He won't be able to stop." I told Leo. He looked up, surprised.

"Are you serious?" I nodded. "We have to tell Dr. Ryan."

"No." Was he crazy? "Wait. What if we don't? He'll be humiliated in front of everyone and Mr. Davenport will-"

"-send him packing and reassign you to head the project." Leo finished, nodding. "That's a brilliant plan. Shady, but brilliant."

"Thank you. Now, there's one more thing." I walked over to a nearby box, pulling out a large plastic doll. "I need you to strap in the test dummy."

Leo took it from me and walked over to the space elevator, but Mr. Davenport stopped him from putting it in the elevator.

"Oh, you won't be needing that." He told him before turning to face the crowd. "I will be taking the test ride myself."

I gasped, staring at him. That wasn't supposed to happen. "No, you can't!" Leo protested.

"Yes, I can. Watch me." He replied, shutting the door close. I jumped up on the edge of the space elevator, ignoring the students watching, and slammed my fist on the door.

"Stop! You're going to die!" I shouted.

"The capsule's sound proof. I can't hear you!" He shouted back. "But I read lips! Say it again!"

"You're. Gonna. Die." I exaggerated the mouth movements, making what I was trying to say perfectly clear, but it still didn't work.

"Oh, I guess I can't read lips. It looks like you're saying I'm going to die." He laughed and I realized that there was no way to make him understand. I ran over to Calla and Dr. Ryan, who were staring at me like I was crazy.

"Mr. Davenport's life's in danger. You have to abort the launch." I told them seriously.

"You're trying to sabotage my moment with straight up lies?" Dr. Ryan glared at me. "It hurts me to say this, but you are out of the air band."

I glared back. "I'll just tell him myself. Give me that comm link." I grabbed at the comm set in his ear, trying to pull it away. But in the end, all we managed to do was rip it in half.

"You broke my new comm set. You owe me 15.99$!" He snapped at me. Calla stepped in between us.

"What did you mean when you said Mr. Davenport was in danger?" She questioned, looking at me.

"I scanned the elevator. There's a flaw in the breaking system." I explained. "One of his genius algorithms must have been off."

"And you tell me now?" Dr. Ryan demanded. "I take it back – you are not a good assistant."

"Not important, dude." Calla growled as the crowd began counting down from ten. "Where's the abort button?"

"Why would I make an 'I-failed' button?" Dr. Ryan questioned as the elevator shot into the sky.

"Because you just failed!" I snapped, looking up at the elevator worriedly. Oh no, oh no, oh no. This was bad.

** Bree's POV **

"So, do you think you can teach Bob to be more aggressive?" Adam asked, looking at Perry. She nodded.

"It worked for you two. Old Donny D may have created you, but it was my tough love that turned you into teenage killing machines."

"We don't kill people." I told her.

"Not without my orders you don't!" She shouted in my face, almost as if she was a military officer and I was one of her soldiers. Bob chose that moment to walk in from his break, probably curious as to why Perry was shouting. "Oh, you two should leave. You're not going to want to see this. Say goodbye to the Bob you know."

"Bye Bob." Adam said as we both left the room. Perry closed the door behind us and I looked at Adam.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" I questioned. He was about to answer when there were several loud, violent-sounding crashes coming from the room.

"Well, she does have a way with children." He replied, heading off to find Rio.

A few hours later, we came back to the training room to see Perry and Bob, the latter in front of a punching dummy and a red bandana on his head.

"Okay killer. Let it rip." Perry instructed. Bob didn't even hesitate, punching the dummy in the face so hard that the head broke off. The dummy's head flew across the room, imbedding itself in the wall.

"Wow." Adam and I were both impressed. Adam smirked. "The last time I told him to let it rip, he did something completely different."

"Very impressive." I complimented, still surprised that it only took Perry an hour to help Bob find his inner warrior. "How did you do that so quickly?"

"Easy. I just told him a few Perry war stories." She replied. Adam and I both frowned, but for different reasons.

"Like what?" Adam inquired.

"That's between me, and that scarred for life little boy." Perry retorted.

"I don't get it. If all you did was talk to him, then what was with all the wall shaking and awful animal noises?" I questioned.

"Oh, that was before I talked to Bob." Perry replied. "I dropped a dumbbell on my last good toe; that was the sound of me chewing it off."

** Chase's POV **

We all watched the space elevator, trying to think of a way to stop it. At least, Leo, Calla, and I were. Dr. Ryan seemed a little too busy congratulating himself.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed. "I gotta say people, from down here, it looks like my launch was on point."

"Really?" I demanded, staring at him like he was an idiot. Which, in my opinion, he was. "Once the elevator reaches the end of the tether, Mr. Davenport will be floating in space with no way back!"

Dr. Ryan thought about that for a moment. "I won't say anything if you don't." He eventually said. I stared at him, only looking away when Leo stepped away from the consol.

"Guys, the elevator's speed keeps increasing. I wonder if Big D even knows how fast he's going." He commented.

"Nah, I'm sure he's completely oblivious to the danger he's in." Calla told him, not looking up from the consol as she typed furiously. "I can't override the elevator's brake system, or lessen the pull magnets pulling it up. I was hoping to try and manually stop it from here, or at least slow it down but-"

"Wait, did you say magnets?" Leo demanded, staring at her. Calla nodded and he turned to us. "This elevator is propelled by magnets?"

"Duh." Both Dr. Ryan and I replied at the same time.

"Then if we reverse the polarity, won't it send Big D back down?" Leo questioned. I turned and looked at Dr. Ryan, eyes wide.

"He's right." I realized.

"I know." Dr. Ryan agreed. "What do we do? I've never been corrected before."

"Oh, and I have?" I challenged. He looked at me.

"You're dating Calla, aren't you?" He questioned. Hmm, he did make a fair point there.

"Congratulations. You are the dumbest geniuses I know." Leo told us before glancing at Calla. "I know you said you couldn't lessen the pull of the magnets, but can you reverse the polarity?"

"Umm…" She hesitated. "Dude, I was working on the lug nuts all day. I've barely gotten a chance to look at the controls."

"But I have." I took her spot, hands already on the buttons. Dr. Ryan pulled out his tablet and showed me some complicated instructions.

"Here, this should reverse the direction of the magnetic current." He offered. I nodded, doing what the instructions said.

"Done." I looked back at Calla, who was examining the sky with a pair of binoculars. "Is it working?"

"I don't…yes! He's coming back down." She announced.

"I did it!" Dr. Ryan and I exclaimed at the same time, jumping in the air out of excitement.

"Hold up. He's coming back down, sure, but at ten times the speed and we still have no way to stop it." Leo reminded us. We exchanged looks, then glanced at the crowd in front of us.

"He did it!" We both pointed at each other, trying to pin the blame on the other.

** Bree's POV **

"Bob!" I called, stopping him as he made his way down to the cafeteria. Adam followed me, grinning proudly as his young friend.

"What?" He demanded, looking at us.

"Congratulations for graduating to the green level." I told him, smiling brightly.

"Get on with it and give me my shirt." He demanded as Perry walked over.

"Sorry, they were out of green ones, so I improvised." She announced, handing Bob a shirt. "Here's a white one with avocado stains."

"Wait to go Bob." Adam smiled proudly. "You were the last person to graduate to the next level, and I can not wait for you to almost fail again next year."

Bob looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Um, what he means is," I took over, trying to cover for Adam, "we're proud of you."

"Are you kidding me?" Bob sounded pissed off. "If you were proud, you would have gotten me a real shirt!" With that, he ripped the white shirt apart, tossed it at Adam's head, and stormed off.

Adam and I were horrified, but Perry was grinning. "Um, I think you might have pushed Bob a little too far." I told her.

"Yeah." She agreed, still grinning.

"He's out of control." I continued.

"I know." Still grinning.

"You've to fix him." I told her, much to her annoyance.

"No way!" She retorted. "You want to make him nice again? You people disgust me!"

Meanwhile, Bob was screaming at the other students for being in his space, or looking at him, or breathing too loudly. Wow, Perry messed that kid up.

"Bob!" I scolded. "You have got to stop that! If you keep it up, no one's going to want to hang out with you!"

"Good!" He retorted. I smirked, knowing that this kid had one weakness that would work in my favour: his crush on me.

"But that means I won't want to hang out with you." I added.

"That's right you won't!" He shouted. Then he paused, realizing what I had said. His expression turned from angry to distraught in a millisecond's time. "Wait, what? But you said you wanted me to be aggressive and stuff, my little bumble-Bree."

"Yes, but only when you're training or on a mission." I said.

"Oh. Then why did Perry tell me to act like that all the time?" He asked, confused.

"Because she's Perry." This was on us for asking her to help.

"She's about to face the wrath of New Bob!" Bob announced, racing into the training area with a roar.

"New Bob versus old Perry." Adam mused. "Now that's a cage match I've got to see."

I couldn't help but agree, and followed him into the training area.

** Chase's POV **

"Twenty seconds 'till impact!" I announced fretfully, staring up at the elevator rapidly approaching. "What do we do?"

"Look away?" Dr. Ryan suggested.

"Forget it, I'll save him!" Leo announced, stepping on the platform just below the elevator. He raised his hand above his head, as if that alone could stop the elevator. I swear, that kid watches too many cartoons.

"No, Leo! Get off of that thing!" I ordered. "The elevator will crush you!"

"My bionic arm is strong enough to stop it." Leo told me, not moving.

"At that speed, the impact will carry all the way through your body." Dr. Ryan told him.

"My arm also absorbs energy. Maybe it'll withstand the impact."

"Maybe." Calla nodded. "Or maybe, you'll break every bone in your body. Get out of the way, Leo. Now."

"No. Someone needs to stop it, and I'm the only one who can." Leo insisted.

"This plan is too risky, Leo." I tried to persuade him.

"I hate to say it, but Chase is right." Dr. Ryan agreed. But Leo was standing his ground.

"It's coming!" I exclaimed, seeing the elevator fall. The elevator crashed down, but Leo's bionic arm was able to hold it up. He staggered a bit under the weight, but was able to hold it above his head. The crowd burst into applause for him and he sent them a thin smile, despite how badly his arm was shaking.

"I did it! I'm okay." He tried to adjust his balance, but the elevator just pushed him closer to the ground. "And it's heavy." He groaned.

"Uh, guys?" Calla let out a surprised sound. Everyone turned in the direction she was looking, in time to see Mr. Davenport stumbled out from the trees, a parachute covering half his body. "Mr. Davenport?"

"How'd you get out of the elevator?" I demanded.

"I ejected using the parachute I brought with me." He explained. "You think I trust my life to some technology built by a few kids and an air-guitarist, do you? Hey Leo."

"You're not even in there?" Leo demanded, glaring at him. He glanced back at the elevator, deciding to escape that predicament. He threw the elevator up about a foot, then leapt to safety. Almost.

His leg was caught as the elevator came crashing down, pinning his legs underneath who knows how many tons of metal. We all gasped, staring. "Leo!" Calla exclaimed, starting forwards hesitantly.

"It's okay. If I don't look, it doesn't hurt as much." He assured her, before glancing back at the leg. "I looked, I looked, I looked!"

I snapped into action. "Kieran!" I exclaimed, looking at him. "Go get Adam."

"On it!" He disappeared and, not for the first time, I was thankful that I was friends with a teleporter.

"Ah, God!" Leo moaned, his back curling against the pain.

"Shh, Leo. It's okay." Calla squeezed his shoulder supportively. "Adam's going to come and get the elevator off you, then we'll get you to a hospital, okay?"

** Bree's POV **

"Wait, it fell on his leg?" Rio demanded, staring at Adam. Most of the students were in the student dorms, most likely asleep. It was after midnight, after all. We probably should have been telling Kieran and Rio to go to bed along with them, but they were Leo's friends too. Plus, Calla mentioned that Kieran broke up with his girlfriend and serious injuries are definitely distracting from things like that.

"Hey! They're back!" Bree exclaimed, jumping up as Mr. Davenport and Leo walked back into the room. To our surprise, Leo was neither on crutches, nor limping.

"Dude, you're okay!" Kieran fist-bumped him.

"The doctor said that his femur and tibias bones were broken so badly he'd need a titanium rod put in." Mr. Davenport told us.

"Then Big D said 'that sounds expensive' and wheeled me right out of the hospital." Leo finished.

"How am I not surprised?" Calla joked.

"That's not what really happened." Mr. Davenport corrected. "I was just worried that he wouldn't be able to go on missions anymore, so I did the procedure myself. And now he has a bionic leg." Leo was grinning way too happily at that.

"So, thanks to you, Leo got injured and now has another bionic limb?" I asked. "I am beginning to question your parenting skills."

"Oh, don't worry. He's the one who'll have to tell my mom." Leo replied, smirking. Mr. Davenport pulled Calla, Chase, and Dr. Ryan off to the side.

"You three are my brightest minds. What happened out there?" He questioned.

"Hey, don't look at me. All I did was screw in lug nuts." Calla walked back over to us, high-fiving Leo for the new bionic limb.

"Chase?" Mr. Davenport turned to him.

"We got so caught up in proving to each other how smart we are, that we did something really stupid."

"I guess I need to learn to work with others." Dr. Ryan sighed. "It just ain't my thing!"

"Yeah, neither is proper English." Chase replied, walking him to the hydroloop.

"Hey, Big D?" Leo called, stretching his leg out as he sat down at Calla's desk. "Are you sure this worked? My leg doesn't feel any different."

"It might take a little while for the bionics to kick in." Mr. Davenport admitted. Then Leo's leg jerked, accidently kicking Adam's basketball. It flew across the room, nearly decapitating Mr. Davenport.

"Whoa!" Mr. Davenport grinned. "Good thing my reflexes-"

Leo's leg jerked again, kicking Mr. Davenport in the one spot you never, ever want to be kicked.

"Looks like it worked to me." Adam commented, smirking.


	17. Bionic Action Hero

** Chase's POV **

"Well, someone's in a good mood today." Calla commented when she caught sight of Douglas. I nodded in agreement, noticing the skip in his step as he practically danced into the morning.

"Guess who I just got off the phone with." Douglas beamed at us. Then, without waiting for us to guess, he continued. "Giselle Vickers."

"The big Hollywood film-maker?" Bree questioned, perking up. Leo grinned.

"She is legendary. She made all the killer zombie trucker movies." Leo smirked. "Because of her, I can't pee at a truck stop."

"That's right." Douglas smirked. "And get this; her next blockbuster is going to be called 'Bionic Action Hero'."

"Awesome!" Adam grinned. "What's it about?"

We all stared at him. "A bionic action hero." Douglas said slowly. Adam hummed in response.

"Save your money. Sounds like a flop." He mentioned to Kieran, who had stopped to listen in on the conversation.

"And the best part, it's based on your guys." Douglas continued. The others seemed pretty stoked about it, but I had my doubts.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, the same person who makes those lame zombie movies is gonna make our movie? No way." I retorted. I turned around to get Calla's opinion, but Leo was right in my face before I could say anything else.

"Must you ruin everything?" He demanded. Calla gave me a look.

"And her movies aren't lame." She added. Jaden chuckled.

"Yeah, Calla watched one of the zombie doctor movies when she was ten and has been scared of going to the doctor's office or hospital ever since." He agreed.

"That is so not true!" Calla exclaimed, cheeks going red with embarrassment.

"Please! Remember that time you got kidnapped along with Chase and Kieran?" Jaden reminded her. "You'd been shot and I still had to drag you into the hospital kicking and screaming. And then you checked yourself out AMA."

"Because I was worried about these idiots and wanted to make sure they were okay!" She retorted, gesturing at Kieran and I.

"What about that time you snuck out of the hospital with Douglas and Leo?" I reminded her, unable to hide my smirk.

"That was because…oh, just shut up!" Calla's face was completely red now, from both frustration and embarrassment, so Jaden and I both decided to back off, though a few chuckles might have escaped us.

"You need to relax, Chase." Douglas told me. "Giselle's an old college friend. We spent a lot of time in the robotics lab together we switched careers. We even dated a bit."

"What happened?" Bree questioned. Douglas shrugged.

"Some times people grow apart…" He began.

"She dumped you." Calla stated, not even asking if she was right. But Douglas burst into tears anyway.

"Worst day of my life!" He admitted. "And I've been to prison four times!"

"Four times." I mimicked behind his back, earning a small giggle out of Calla.

"Anyway." Douglas didn't notice our little exchange. "She wants the film to portray bionics accurately, so she's coming here to research with the actor that's playing you guys."

"I think you mean actors." I corrected, confused how Douglas could make that mistake.

"No. In the film, there aren't three bionic superhumans. To simplify it, there's just one with all of your abilities." He explained.

"So, who's the actor?" Bree asked curiously.

"Oh, I bet it's Dame Judi Dench." Adam grinned before doing a bad impression of the actress. "Look at me; I'm bionic!"

"No, it's some new guy named Troy West." Douglas shrugged like it was no bid deal, but it really was.

"So they're just going to throw some rookie in the leading role?" These people were going to screw this movie up so bad. "I don't want any part in this."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Chase." Bree added. "You only have one chance to have your life turned into a movie. It should be done right."

"Exactly." Leo agreed. "So, who's playing me? Denzel, Will Smith? Who am I kidding? Those guys can't bring the Dooley."

"Sorry Leo, but there is no character based on you." Douglas apologized, much to Leo's surprise.

"What?" He questioned.

"Dude, it's called 'Bionic Action Hero'. Not 'Kind of Bionic Sort of Action Hero'." Calla teased, smirking at Leo's glare.

"Look, if they want someone to play a bionic hero, why didn't they ask me?" Adam questioned. "I'm an actor. I starred in a school play."

"You had one line." Bree reminded him. "And you forgot it."

"Just because it's in the script doesn't mean you have to say it." Adam retorted. "Plus, I can do my own stunts. The guy who plays Superman can't stop a real locomotive, but I can."

"Oh yeah?" I smirked. "Well, the hydroloop is closing. I bet you can't stop that."

Adam didn't answer, but raced to stop the hydroloop tunnel from closing. He managed to shove his arm into the tunnel, stopping the doors from closing. "Ha!" He exclaimed. "I did it!"

"No you didn't." I chuckled to myself. "You stopped the doors. But you didn't stop the hydroloop."

I pressed a button on the main consol, and the hydroloop sped away. Adam was forced along with it, his arm ripping through the metal walls of the tunnel until he ran face first into one of the Academy's walls. He fell to the ground with a groan, a pained grimace on his face. "Did it stop?" He groaned a moment later, much to my amusement.

** Bree's POV **

"So, when's this big movie maker lady supposed to get here anyway?" Rio asked. She was sitting on the steps next to Adam, looking a little bored. Both she and Kieran had decided to meet this Troy West with us. Kieran was currently talking with Calla by her desk, trying to convince the girl to make the next Academy Field Trip to a zoo.

"Is everybody ready?" Douglas demanded, pacing the room with an anxious look on his face. "Troy and Giselle will be here any minute."

"You seem kind of nervous." Rio observed. Calla nodded.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get your old girlfriend back." She commented with a smirk.

"That's ridiculous." Douglas laughed, more out of nervousness than amusement. "How's my hair? Too spiky? Not enough spiky? Just the right amount of spike?"

"Never mind the spike; what are you going to do about the greys?" I joked. Douglas, as expected, panicked and reached for his hair as if he could hide the non-existent grey hairs.

The hydroloop tunnel chose that moment to open, and two people stepped out. One was a skinny, pretty dark haired lady – Giselle. While the other was a tall, muscular boy with long brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Oh…my…God." I murmured, staring at him. I wasn't the only one.

"Look at that hair." Calla hissed.

"Those eyes." Rio whispered in response.

Luckily, none of our boyfriends noticed what we said, their attention too focused on Giselle and Troy.

"Douglas, nice to see you." Giselle greeted, pulling her hand away from their handshake in time to avoid Douglas kissing it. "Still rocking the same old spikes, I see."

"I can change." He offered instantly. "What do you like? Side part? Middle part? Mullet?"

"Hi." Giselle ignored him and turned to us. "I'm Giselle. I'm so honoured to be telling your story. And this is Troy West, the actor who will be playing you in the movie."

"Hi." I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face.

"What's up guys? It's really nice to meet you." Troy smiled at us.

"I get it now." Adam grinned. "He's got my body, Bree's hair, but I'm not seeing the Chase. He's perfect."

Chase rolled his eyes. "Oh come on. You seriously buy that this guy's bionic? I mean, compared to me-"

"Baby, you really don't want to go there." Calla told him before turning to Troy. "I'm sorry about him. He's just cranky because he doesn't like the movie idea. But I do."

"I'm glad." Troy chuckled. "And thank you so much for letting us come here to do our research. I can't believe I'm actually standing here with three bionic heroes."

"Five bionic heroes, actually." Rio told him, smiling sweetly. "Kieran and I are students."

"That's so cool." Troy grinned at her, making her blush.

"We won't get in your way." Giselle assured us. "I'm just here to check out the Academy so I can make the movie as real as possible."

"And I'm just here to learn about your bionics so my performance will feel authentic." Troy added.

"I totally get where you're come from, Troy." Adam told him, nodding. "I'm a big time actor myself."

"Really? Movies?" Troy looked at him, his interest peaked.

"School plays." Adam corrected. "But I did see a mom filming it on her phone, so it's only a matter of time before it hits theatres."

"I see…" Troy looked slightly less impressed, but politely acted like it was a big deal. "So what did you feel was the key to your character's inner life?"

"I got to wear a cowboy hat and ride a wooden pony." Adam replied, showing him a small gallop.

"And that's all you need to know about Adam." Chase said, smirking.

"Why hello." We turned to see Leo walk into the room. He walked straight up to Giselle. "You must be Giselle. I'm Leo, the fourth and most important member of the team."

"Of course." Giselle smiled, shaking his hand. "I know all about you, Leo."

"Well then you also know that my fascinating life would make a fantastic sequel." He continued, putting his arm around her. "Or we could even just forget about the little cocktail weenies and focus on the main course: me."

"Why," Douglas pushed Leo away from Giselle, " don't you guys go show Troy some bionic moves. It'll give Giselle a chance to walk around this place and remember how adorable I am."

Douglas led her out of the room, despite the look on her face. "Then we are going to be walking for a very long time."

** Chase's POV **

I watched boredly as Adam and Bree tried to train Troy. This was stupid and ridiculous. I didn't like that they were making a movie about us with some random actor. I didn't like that the producer was known for her zombie flicks. And I certainly didn't like that every girl at the Academy, including my own girlfriend, seemed to have a crush on Troy! I mean, seriously?

For that reason, we'd blocked off the training room. Kieran and Rio were put in charge of the students, and I was pretty sure they were all in the ocean, playing Marco Polo or something. Leo had disappeared too, presumably to join his fellow students, while Giselle had insisted that Calla join her and Douglas on the tour. I was pretty sure it was so Calla could act as a barrier from Douglas' flirting, but she didn't seem to mind that much.

"So," I looked up at the sound of Adam's voice. He was speaking to Troy. "You really think you have what it takes to be a bionic superhuman?"

"I hope so. I've been training really hard." Troy replied. "Check this out. It's one of Chase's abilities."

He twisted his face into a look of concentration and lifted two fingers to his temple. But he was doing it wrong!

"What was that?" I demanded.

"It was your bionic eye scan." Troy replied. "And once they add some special effects, it will look really cool."

"No, it won't, because you're doing it wrong." I retorted. "It goes like this."

I showed him the proper way to do it. In all honesty, his way wasn't all that different – his hand was supposed to twist in a different way – but that wasn't the point. If they were really going to do this movie, they had to do it perfectly.

"Oh, thanks man. I totally get how that's different." He eventually said, though his tone implied that he didn't. Bree sighed.

"Excuse us." She told Troy before pushing me over to the side of the room. "Okay, so who's helping out with the cheesy movie?"

"I am not helping! I am critiquing his mediocre performance!" I retorted angrily.

** Calla's POV **

"Hey Leo, what's going on?" I asked, catching sight of him near the cafeteria. He was smirking slightly.

"Check out Douglas' hair." He chuckled, gesturing. I glanced inside the cafeteria and saw Douglas and Giselle sitting at one of the tables, chatting. Douglas' hair had lost all of its spikiness, instead lying flat on his head.

"Okay that is weird." I agreed, surprised to see how much he would change to try and please Giselle. It might have been working, I supposed, since she did seem interested in what Douglas was telling her. "What are they talking about?"

"Not sure. I think I heard Marcus' name a few minutes ago, and now they're talking about his old lair."

"Dude, it was a basement, not an evil lair." I commented, walking away from the cafeteria to give Douglas and Giselle their privacy.

"I'm pretty sure if you torture people in it, you have to call it a lair." Leo commented. I shrugged.

"Fair enough. Want to go play Marco Polo with Kieran and Rio?" I suggested. He grinned.

"Sure. Might as well." He agreed.

** Bree's POV **

"That is so cool!" Troy grinned as I sped around him at 80 MPH. I skidded to a stop beside him, grinning.

"Well, if you like that ability, you're really going to like my…" And I disappeared, turning completely invisible. I'd discovered this ability only a few nights ago when I accidently turned invisible in my sleep. I hadn't even realized until I looked into the bathroom mirror and couldn't see myself looking back. "…invisibility app." I finished, turning visible once more.

"No way. How do you do that?" Tory questioned.

"It's not…that…hard…" I walked around the room, turning my invisibility on and off.

"Awesome." Troy grinned and I grinned back. It was cool to show someone new my abilities. "Thanks for helping me out, by the way."

"No problem." I wanted this movie to be a hit, after all.

"I just wish Chase was as open about his abilities as you are." He sighed.

"Don't take it personally. He's just really protective of his image." I assured him, heading over to the table to grab a bottle of water.

"He does know that, on the fan boards, they call him the 'bionic fun killer' doesn't he?" Troy questioned. I laughed at that.

"Yeah, but to be fair, most of those posts were mine." I admitted, handing him a bottle. Troy nodded, but still looked a little upset.

"The thing is, I'm running out of time. I have to figure him out. If I don't…" He sighed. "Giselle might fire me. I really don't want to lose this role."

"Maybe I can help." I offered. "What do you need?"

"I don't know…stuff like how his chip was designed, where his super intelligence comes from. All the things that make him the smartest person in the world." Troy replied. I hummed, trying to think.

"Sorry. All I know is what makes him the most annoying person in the world." I replied, earning a soft chuckle from him. "But if all you need is a bionic owner's manual, I can get you one."

"Really?" Troy grinned. I nodded, grabbing Calla's laptop off the table. She always left her stuff in here.

"Yeah. Calla should have a copy of the files concerning our bionics on here." I opened the laptop. "And if not, Mr. Davenport's files are really easy to access."

"That would be great." Troy beamed at me. It only took me one glance at her password hint to figure out what to type. Once I was passed the password protection, I quickly accessed the files. "Are you sure she won't mind?"

"If she minded, then she would have made her password more difficult to guess." I reasoned. "I mean, Calla Davenport isn't that strong of a password."

"No it is not." Troy agreed. I sent a copy of the files to a spare USB and handed it to Troy.

"It's just a bunch of boring schematics and formulas, but here you go. Everything there is to know about Chase's chip." I offered. He took the USB with a smile.

"Thanks Bree; you're the best." Troy told me. I smiled back, then glanced at the pool.

"So, now that we're done working, do you want to go for a swim?" I suggested.

"Sounds great. I'll go change." He replied, walking away. I put Calla's laptop away and climbed into my capsule to change.

Troy was a nice guy, and a good friend, and I was glad to help him out. Especially since Chase was too stubborn to do so himself.

** Calla's POV **

"This is so cool." I grinned, walking onto the set. Though Chase wasn't nearly as excited as the rest of us, I was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. None of us had ever been on a movie stage before. Kieran had been jealous when he found out that he hadn't been invited, but had happily agreed to take charge of the students in our place, so none of us had to worry about the Academy at all.

"I am so glad you guys can come by the stage and watch us film." Giselle said as she led us onto the stage.

"This place is so cool." Leo grinned at me. I nodded, taking in all the workers, the make-up tables, the costume rack…and then I saw the set.

It was practically identical to the training room back at the Academy, the only differences being the color of the walls and glass. "And this is our Hollywood version of the Bionic Academy." Giselle told us, gesturing at the set.

"It looks amazing." Leo grinned.

"No, it doesn't!" Chase snapped. I sighed; he was still so against this movie. "The walls look fake. The floor looks fake. Nothing in here looks like the real academy."

"But your complaining is really authentic." Bree replied sassily. Giselle phone suddenly vibrated and she sighed.

"I've got to take this call from my other movie, Killer Zombie Orthodontists." She told us.

"Orthodontists?" Jaden repeated.

"Yeah, I know. We're pretty much out of ideas." She admitted before walking away to answer the call in private.

Suddenly, Troy walked past us, his head buried in a script. Bree stepped away from Jaden, grinning. "Hey Troy." She greeted.

"Oh, hey." He replied distractedly, only glancing up for a moment.

"So what happened?" Bree questioned, looking at him with a confused look. "You said you were going to meet me at the pool, but then you left the island without saying goodbye."

Troy just shrugged. "What do you want me to say? I'm not much of a water person."

And with that, he walked away. "Well, that was rude." I commented. Bree nodded, still watching him go.

"I wonder what that was about…" She trailed off just as Giselle walked back to us. The woman was smiling brightly, a number of paper packages in her hands.

"Good news." She practically sang. "Since you were all so helpful, I'm putting you in the scene we're about to shoot."

We all gasped. "You want us to be in the movie?" I demanded, beaming.

"Yep. But instead of playing bionic heroes, you get to play the bad guys. What do you think?"

Most of us were grinning, ecstatic at the opportunity, even Chase. But Leo was suddenly a little doubtful. "I think Leo Dooley had better have a line."

Even Chase was excited. "We're going to be in a movie. We're going to be in a movie! We're going to be in a movie!" He exclaimed, looking over the scripts that Giselle handed us.

"Oh, so now you're on board?" Douglas questioned, looking at him.

"Hey. Troy starring in a bionic movie? Lame. Me starring in a bionic movie? Awesome." He sang the last bit, beaming.

"Great." Giselle smiled at Chase's enthusiasm. "So it's all settled. Any questions?"

"Just one." Adam replied. "What time will this be on tonight?"

** Xxx **

It wasn't long before we were all in costume – simple outfits made of dark material – and make up. There weren't many extra chairs for the make-up areas, so Adam, Bree, and Jaden offered to stand while Chase, Leo, Douglas and I got our seats.

"This is so cool." Chase grinned when the make-up guy finished with him. "I finally get to play a bad guy."

"Most people would prefer the hero." I mentioned, glancing in the mirror as a lady sprayed hair spray around.

"Not me." Chase pushed out of his seat so he could get a better look at himself in the mirror. "Chase Davenport, international bad boy."

It took everything in me not to laugh. Chase was far too nice to ever be a bad boy. "Settle down, bad boy. Your mascara's running." Leo mentioned, glancing at him.

"I don't get it." Bree exclaimed, clearly frustrated. "Troy won't even talk to me; it's so weird."

"Bree, it's no big deal." Jaden assured her, while looking over his script.

"I know, it's just…I thought we were starting to be really good friends, you know?" She sighed. "And now he's treating me like I'm a nobody."

"Maybe you did something to upset him." Adam suggested. Bree looked at him.

"You think?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Bree, relax. If he's mad, I'm sure he'll come talk to you about." Douglas assured her. Bree shook her head.

"I'm not waiting that long. I'm going to go see what his problem is." She decided heading off.

"Why does she need his approval so much?" Jaden demanded, leaning against my makeup table. Chase shrugged.

"She just really hates it when people don't tell her why they're mad at her." He shrugged. "She always has to know, so she can either fix it, or continue doing it."

"Why would she continue doing it?" I questioned, looking at hi. Chase raised an eyebrow.

"If something you did upset Skylar Lewis, wouldn't you continue doing it?" He challenged.

"Fair enough." I agreed, looking at my script. I couldn't believe I was going to be in a movie. And actually have a line too! I was so excited!

** Bree's POV **

"Troy?" I called, knocking on his dressing room door. There was no answer, so I knocked again. Still nothing. Trying the doorknob, I found the door unlocked. "Troy?" I called again, pushing the door open.

The room was empty, and there wasn't another person in the hall, so I decided to take a look. After all, how many times would I be able to check out a real, Hollywood dressing room?

The room was pretty simple and had the basics. A couch, a TV, a couple of tables, and a make-up vanity with a laptop on it. Then I noticed the pictures. There was at least five of them, all of Troy.

"Self-absorbed much?" I chuckled, picking up what looked to be the most recent photo. Suddenly, I heard a series of beeps coming from the laptop. Curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to check it out. "Who're you getting messages from, Mr. Popular?"

Before I could get a good look at the screen, I heard the sound of voices coming towards the room. Specifically, Troy and Giselle.

"This won't take long." I heard Giselle assure Troy.

"Alright, but hurry up. I've got to be on set." He responded. Not wanting to get caught snooping, I turned invisible, and leaned against the wall so I wouldn't be in anyone's way.

"This is what I wanted to show you." Giselle announced, entering the room. She opened her purse and pulled out a laptop identical to Troy's. She opened it up, showing Troy the contents. "I finally finished analyzing Chase's chip schematics."

"Then…then we're good?" Troy looked at her for confirmation. I frowned. Good? What did he mean by that?

"As soon as they're ready to film, we'll do it." Giselle replied. I glanced at the laptop, suddenly feeling a little worried. I had to know what they were talking about. But first, I needed the laptop.

I stepped over to Troy's table of pictures and pushed it over. My distraction worked perfectly, him panicking the moment they fell.

"My pictures!" He cried, dropping to his knees and trying to clean them up. When Giselle just stared at him, he sent her a glare. "Help me!"

I took the opportunity to switch the laptops, knowing that Giselle wouldn't notice unless she went to look at the data on it again.

"C'mon." Giselle tapped Troy's head to get his attention. "Let's get out of here."

Troy looked over the room once more to make sure his pictures wouldn't fall back over. "I think I need more pictures of myself." He decided before walking out.

Once I was sure they were gone, I turned visible once more and look at the laptop. It only took me a minute to go over the information, but it took me far longer to process it. When I finally did, I was shocked. We'd all made a big mistake, but no one had screwed up more than me.

** Calla's POV **

"We have the weirdest friends." Jaden muttered, staring at our friends. I nodded in agreement. We had all been practicing for the scene, but apparently we all had different methods. Jaden and I merely memorized our lines, but the others…Well, Adam was pretending to ride an invisible horse, Leo looked like he was trying to figure out where everyone and everything was supposed to be, Chase was doing vocal exercises and Douglas was doing some weird thing with his arms.

"Alright everybody." Giselle announced, walking in. Troy wasn't far behind her. "We're about to start filming. Positions, please."

We all nodded and headed back to the left of the set, tossing our scripts onto a nearby table. Giselle went over to talk to Troy, handing him the fake weapon he would use in the scene.

"Where's Bree?" Jaden whispered, concerned. I looked around, but the speedster was no where to be found.

"Maybe she got lost in some of the halls while looking for Troy." I suggested with a shrug. "We'll look for her after we're done here."

"Alright." Jaden agreed just as a buzzer went off.

"Alright, just like we rehearsed." Giselle announced, walking over to the camera men. "Douglas, you and the kids will say your lines, then Troy will shoot you. Lights, camera, action!"

We ran onto the stage, acting as if we had been running from someone. "Any sign of the bionic superhuman?" Douglas demanded.

"I think we lost him!" Chase was grinning, his excitement too much to hide.

"He…" I gulped, my mind suddenly going blank. What was my line? Why could I remember it?

"He might still be around." Jaden covered for me, saying both of our lines. "But right now, I think we're safe."

"Told you we'd…" Adam glanced at his hand, where he'd written his line. "…get away with it."

"Great work everyone!" Leo grinned, giving the camera a thumbs up. God, we were terrible at this. But Giselle didn't seem to care.

Troy walked on stage then, carrying his gun in one hand. "I agree." He glared at us. "Thanks for making this so easy."

He raised the gun. I knew that when he pressed the trigger, we were all supposed to drop as if he'd killed us, but he never got the chance. Bree, finally deciding to make an appearance, sped into the room, knocked him to the ground, and grabbed the gun. We all stared at her in shock.

"What are you doing?" Douglas demanded, bewildered at her behaviour.

"You just ruined the scene!" Chase complained.

"And my take was perfect!" Leo agreed, giving the camera another thumbs up.

"You sure about that Leo?" I questioned.

"You're one to talk." Jaden retorted for him.

"This is all a trap." Bree insisted. "Giselle lured us here so Troy could take us out with this."

"Bree, honey, that is a prop. It can't really kill people." Jaden explained to her gently. She raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" Without hesitating, she point the gun at the camera and pulled the trigger. To our shock, it blasted a real laser and the camera exploded in a fiery blast.

"Whoa, what just happened?" Leo demanded, staring at the remains of the camera.

"Wait!" Adam called suddenly. "I'm lost. Are we still doing the scene?"

"No Adam." Bree sighed in frustration. "This isn't even a real movie!"

"What?" Douglas glanced at his ex. "Giselle, what is going on?"

"Go ahead. Tell them." Bree challenged, watching the woman like a hawk.

"With pleasure." Giselle chuckled. "The only reason I've been making movies all these years is to fund my army of advanced android fighting machines. And just when I was about to unveil my brilliant creations, along came Adam, Chase, and Bree to steal my thunder."

"And Leo!" Leo interrupted, annoyed. "Why do people always forget about Leo?"

Seriously, that's what he was focusing on? She just told us that she had an army of advanced androids, and that's what he was focusing on?

"I gave my androids all of your abilities." Giselle continued as if Leo had never spoken. Meanwhile, workers started walking onto the set, standing off to the side. "The only one I couldn't crack was super intelligence."

"Why didn't you just ask me for it?" Douglas questioned before grinning. "We could have worked together."

"I don't want to work with you." Giselle spat, looking at him in disgust. Douglas' face fell, distraught, but she didn't care. "My technology is far superior. You're my competition, and the first rule in business is to eliminate the competition."

"Really?" Adam frowned. "I thought it was location, location, location."

"Well, I suppose it depends on the type of business you're running…" I thought aloud. In my opinion, Adam was right, but now wasn't the best time to get into this discussion.

"This is crazy!" Douglas exclaimed, cutting me off. "There is no way that your android technology is that advanced!"

That seemed to amuse her. "Oh really?" Giselle challenged. "Troy, why don't we show them."

Troy obediently stripped off his jacket, leaving only his red t-shirt underneath. Giselle pressed a button on her watch and suddenly, every person in the room except for the eight of us changed into massive robots. They turned back a moment later. Must be a holographic cloak or something, I decided.

"Troy's a killer android?" My eyes went wide. As a scientist, that was the coolest thing ever, but as a regular person, I was pretty freaked. This was just like Marcus all over again.

"Bree, you really need to make normal friends." Chase commented, giving his sister a hard look.

"Now that I have the schematics for Chase's chip, I can give all my androids his intelligence." Giselle continued.

"Wait, how do you have my schematics?" Chase demanded. I nodded, just as confused. Those things were impossible to just find. Only Douglas, Mr. Davenport, and I had access to them.

"Bree gave them to me." Troy smirked. We all looked at her, surprised.

"What?" We all stared at her.

"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, looking back at us with pleading eyes. "He tricked me into getting them off of Calla's laptop."

Troy took advantage of her distraction, stealing the gun and pushing her to the ground. The guys acted immediately, Jaden reached down to help her up and Adam and Chase stepping forward to attack. But with that massive blaster pointed at us, there was nothing they could do.

"Nice work, Troy." Giselle complimented as Jaden helped Bree to her feet. "Finish them off."

"Wait!" Bree exclaimed, reaching into her jacket. She pulled out a small laptop as Troy turned the gun on her. "If you destroy me, you destroy Giselle's laptop, with Chase's schematics. That's right – I stole your laptop."

Giselle smirked. "Who cares? I've got backups all over my servers."

"Not if we create virus that takes out your entire network!" Chase and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Cover us!" Chase ordered as I took the laptop from Bree, ducking behind the others and heading towards the back of the room. Chase and Douglas were by my side in an instant, both of them giving instructions on how to create the virus as I typed.

The others burst into action, Bree speeding forward to take on Troy. He dropped the weapon, her attack taking him by surprise, and Jaden managed to scoop it up. Good thing too, as neither of us had thought to bring weapons with us. Such a stupid mistake – we should know better by now than to leave the Academy without some sort of defence. Leo and Adam tried using their strength (and in Leo's case, his bionic arm and leg) only to realize that the androids couldn't feel the pain of their attacks.

Giselle wasn't kidding when she said that she gave them all of their abilities. We had to duck a few times to avoid heat vision blasts, or stray plasma balls.

"Ah!" Bree suddenly came tumbling into us, nearly making me drop the laptop.

"Easy!" Douglas scolded as she regained her balance. "We're trying to work here!"

"Sorry!" She apologized before leaping back into the fight with a shout of frustration.

"Hey!" I glanced upwards for a moment upon hearing Jaden's shout. Troy had knocked him to the ground, the gun falling out of his hands. The only thing that prevented Troy from taking back the deadly weapon was Adam, who shot a blast of his heat vision to destroy the weapon.

"Calla…" Chase warned, drawing my attention back to the laptop,

"Right. And we're…done!" I shouted the last bit, grinning as I sent the virus.

"The virus is out!" Chase announced, taking the laptop from me holding the laptop high above his head with a proud smirk on his face.

"Ha! We just fried all your servers!" Douglas laughed at Giselle. "Just like you fried my heart."

To make his point, Chase slammed the laptop to the ground where it exploded into a million tiny pieces. Giselle glared at us. "Surround them!" She ordered.

"Chase!" Suddenly, I was being pushed away from him by a particularly ugly android. I was shoved backwards, right into Leo, while Chase was forced to the outside of the circle. It was clear that Giselle had them separate him from us, but I didn't realize what for until Troy snuck up behind him. "Chase!" I shouted, trying to warn him, but it was too late.

Troy delivered a harsh blow to the back of Chase's head, rendering him unconscious. Without hesitating, he pulled the shorter boy over his shoulder and started to walk away, carrying Chase with him. "Hey! Let him go!" I shouted, trying to push through the crowd, but the androids stopped me.

"Where're you taking him?" Adam demanded, even as he pulled me farther away from the androids.

"Since you destroyed my network, there's only one way to get Chase's chip; I'll have to rip it out of him myself." Giselle growled.

"Not if we stop you." Leo growled, furious.

"Oh, that's not going to happen." Giselle replied with a sickly sweet smile. "This entire place rigged with explosives."

She pressed another button on her watch and the glass panels behind us lowered. Instead of showing the area behind the set, like one would expect, it showed layer upon layer of explosive.

"Once they detonate, the world will think that it's an unfortunate accident that claimed the lives of the bionic not-so-superhumans." She smirked. Adam glared at her, and with an angry shouted, rushed at her.

One of the androids got to him first, knocking to the ground. He fell with a pained groaned, conscious but stunned. "Goodbye, Douglas." Giselle smirked. "And thanks for giving me the last piece of the puzzle."

She pressed a button on her watch and a countdown timer appeared, already down to two minutes and forty-five seconds. She walked away then, leaving us alone with the androids.

** Chase's POV **

My head really hurt. That was the first thing I noticed as I slowly started to be dragged out of the peaceful oblivion and back into reality. I let out a soft groan, trying to figure out why my head hurt and why my eyes didn't want to open.

"Lock him up." A distinctly female voice ordered, much to my confusion. It was only when I felt something cold, had, and metallic clamp down around my wrists and ankles did I open my eyes.

I was in a laboratory, strapped down to a very uncomfortable chair. Machines and metal carts were everywhere, surround me, Troy and Giselle. "Where am I?" I demanded, looking around and trying to keep my breathing steady. If I panicked, I would have no chance of being able to escape.

"My robotics lab. Can I get you anything? Water? Tea? Sharp pain in your neck as we rip out your bionic chip?" Giselle questioned. My mind was racing. The last thing I remembered was being surrounded by androids. Giselle ordered them to surround us, Calla was pushed away from me, then…nothing. Obviously, they'd kidnapped me. But where was Calla? And Adam, Bree, and Leo? Jaden and Douglas too, for that matter.

"You know. I was built on that very table. It's kinda funny, actually." Troy mused. "It's where I had my first day, and you're having your last."

He laughed at that as if it was the funniest thing in the world. I looked at Giselle. "All this technology and you couldn't give him a sense of humour?" I questioned.

"With your chip, I can finally give my androids superior intelligence." Giselle thought aloud, smirking down at me. "And unlike bionic humans, they're not vulnerable to pain, emotion, or their lives ending."

"My family will come for me." I warned, knowing that it was true. I was certain that they were looking for me at this very moment.

"I'm sure they would." Giselle agreed with a smile. "If they weren't about to be involved in a terrible accident."

My heart skipped a beat. "Accident? What are you talking about?"

Giselle didn't answer at first, instead showing me what appeared to be a live feed of the soundstage the set had been on. Then she showed me a video of what was going on inside the stage. Adam, Bree, Calla, Douglas, Jaden, and Leo were standing around, surrounded by androids. In the back, several red packages could be seen, but it was hard to make out what they were. I could have tried to figure it out, but a part of me didn't want to know the answer.

"Ten seconds." Bree warned.

"Wait, this doesn't make sense." Calla said, looking around at the androids in confusion. Leo nodded.

"Why would Giselle leave all her androids behind to blow up with us?" He questioned. Giselle smirked as the androids began to disappear, geo-leaping to safety.

"Good question." Adam nodded. "You should probably ask them before they all geo-leap away."

"Okay, that's it." Calla stated, turning around to face one of the androids. But before I could see whatever she was planning, for it was surely reckless and dangerous if I knew her, the android holding the camera geo-leaped away. Giselle switched the feeds to show the outside of the soundstage.

"Three…two...one…" Troy grinned, unable to hide his excitement. The moment he hit one, the entire soundstage exploded, fire bursting in every direction.

"NO!" I shouted, trying to leap from my chair. But it was too late. Calla, Bree, Adam, Leo, Douglas, Jaden…almost everyone I ever cared about, everyone I ever loved was…gone.

This couldn't be happening. This had to be a bad dream, a nightmare, something. They couldn't just be dead!

Apparently, someone was listening to my prayers, because Giselle, Troy, and I all noticed six figures running out from behind the stage, unscathed by the explosion. "They escaped." I breathed, weak with relief.

"But that's impossible." Giselle growled, confused and upset.

"Not really!" I laughed. I had no idea how they escaped, but if anyone could figure it out, it would be Calla. "I guess you need my bionic intelligence more than your stupid robots do."

Troy started towards me and I panicked. "I was kidding. Please don't take it out!" I begged, twisting my head in an effort to prevent him from hurting me. "Please don't take it out!"

** Bree's POV **

The ride back to Academy was a long one, and too quiet. No one seemed to know what to say. But eventually, someone had to break the awkward silence.

"Great idea, Calla." I complimented as we stepped out of the hydroloop tunnel. She glanced at me, but didn't say anything as she walked straight over to her desk. "How'd you know that grabbing onto an android while they were geo-leaping would geo-leap us out too?"

"I didn't." She replied roughly. "I just wanted to rip the head off an android before I blew up."

"C'mon. We have to find Chase." Adam told us. Douglas nodded.

"I'll check his GPS locator in his chip." He offered, standing next to Calla at the table.

"Poor Chase." I murmured sadly, praying that he was alright. "This is all my fault."

There was a moment of silence, then, "Notice nobody's saying it's not." Calla said coldly, not looking at me.

"Bree," Jaden gave me a look, "you didn't know."

"I'm serious, Jaden. I trusted Troy and now Chase may die because of it." I continued.

"Yep." Calla agreed. I flinched at the anger in her tone.

"I'm sorry." I pleaded with her, with all them, to understand.

"So?" Calla turned on me, eyes blazing. "Sorry doesn't mean squat if you can't do anything about it."

"Calla, that's enough." Jaden scolded. "She made a mistake."

"Funny how it's Chase paying for that mistake and not her." Calla growled angrily. If looks could kill, I'd already be six feet under.

"Calla." Douglas stopped her. "Chase's GPS signal isn't coming up."

"Giselle must have deactivated it." Calla sighed.

"Great, so now Chase's fate lies in the hands of your evil ex-girlfriend." Leo groaned.

"Hey, at least she's pretty." Douglas retorted.

"And at least-" Calla began, only for Jaden to cut her off.

"Okay. Why don't you go for a walk, huh?" He suggested, already pushing Calla out of the room. She started to protest, but he didn't give her the chance. "You're pissed, we get it. But letting your emotions take over won't help Chase. So you take a bit of a breather, give the twins the 411, grab a couple of weapons that we can use to kill Troy and Giselle, then come back here. Okay?"

Calla looked like she was going to argue, but eventually sighed and nodded, walking away. "She hates me." I mentioned with a sigh. "My best friend hates me."

"She's upset and worried and reasonably pissed off." Jaden told me. "You know how she gets, especially with Chase. Let her calm down, and I'm sure she'll come around."

"I hope so." I agreed with a sigh.

** Chase's POV **

I glared up at Giselle and Troy, still trying to think of a way out of here. If I had super strength, I might have been able to rip off the restraints, but unfortunately, I didn't.

"I bet my family is tracking me down as I speak." I threatened. When they got here, they were going to take them down.

"Yeah, and when they do, I'll take them out." Troy replied.

"Forget about them." Giselle clearly didn't think they were a threat. "It's time to remove Mr. Know-It-All's chip."

"See, you think you're insulting me with that, but it's actually a compliment." I smirked, trying to keep it together. I had no chance of escaping by myself, but if I could keep her talking, I might be able to survive long enough for the others to get here.

"How is it that you're the one strapped down and I'm the one being tortured?" Giselle questioned. I shrugged, a smirk on my lips. "I'm going to find something sharp to rip you open with."

"You do that." I retorted, grinning when I saw the look of annoyance on her face.

"This sounds messy." Troy grimaced. "I'm going to go get my hairnet."

He walked away after that, leaving me alone. I began to struggle against the restraints, but it was no use. They were too tight. Even Adam would have trouble getting out of these. I looked around the room, trying to find something that might help me. My gaze fell on the release switch for the restraints, several feet out of my reach. "Oh, come on!" I complained loudly. "Why does the release have to be all the way over there?"

I sighed. "Doesn't matter." I decided. "Mr. Know-It-All had telekinesis." I glanced at my hands. "It's go time, boys."

I looked at the switch, focusing as hard as I could. Usually, I'd be able to do this with ease, but usually, I'd have full control of my hands. With them strapped down, it was harder to use them to control the direction of my telekinesis. But eventually, after several minutes of concentration, I managed to flip the switch. I let out a sigh of relief when the restraints fell away, and I climbed out of my seat, jumping to the ground with a grin.

Just in time too, as Giselle burst in seconds later. Troy too, with a hairnet covering his head. "How'd you get out?" She demanded.

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to destroy you." I replied. Then, the need to show off my brilliance took over. "I'm destroy you anyway. It was telekinesis. Shh."

Troy glared at me and slowly removed the hairnet. "Hold my hairnet." He told Giselle before walking towards me, obviously looking for a fight. I stepped back into a fighting stance, more than ready to give him one.

"Good luck. Troy's programmed with every form of martial arts, and if that doesn't work, he's a biter."

Troy bared his teeth, then jumped into the air, spinning a kick at my head. I ducked and blocked his next hit, and dodged the one after that. I didn't manage to block the next kick though and ended up with his foot in my abdomen. He sent another couple of kicks my way, but after blocking a few, I managed to grab his foot and hold it to my side, rendering him unable to move. I punched him in the gut as hard as I could, only to remember that he was an android. I pulled my hand back, wincing at the throbbing pain going through it. "Abs of steal, brochacho. Literally." Troy smirked.

He pulled his foot away, but didn't let it touch the ground once before sending another kick at me. I hadn't expected the blow and it knocked me back down, right into a sink. My head connected with the metal doors, spots dancing across my vision. Troy took that as his signal to stop and began to walk away, but there was no way I was going to let him win.

I jumped to my feet and used my magnetism app to hold him in place. I upped the power of the app, slowly dragging him back towards me.

"What's happening?" He demanded.

"It's called a magnetism app." I retorted, readying my next move. "And this is called reversing polarity, brochacho."

I switched the polarity of the app and sent him flying across the room. I threw him into a bunch of metal barrels. I looked at Giselle. "Were you really going to waste my superior intelligence on that hunk of metal? Even his ponytail is dated."

Troy sent me a glare from where he lay on the ground, still recovering from my attack.

"Of course not; Troy is the old model." Giselle replied. "It took me twenty years to get him programmed to this level and he's still unreliable. Your intellect is going into my new fleet of androids."

She pressed a button on her computer and a door opened up to reveal another, larger metallic android. "Say hello the future."

She pressed another button and the android's form changed from that of a robot to an overweight man. "Every android will take the appearance of whatever human I program them to. That way, they can blend in with the rest of the population. This is my Uncle Jerry."

"A fifty year old with a gut?" I questioned, unimpressed. "No offense, but the only thing Uncle Jerry could destroy is a hoagie."

Uncle Jerry turned to me and blasted a plasma blast at my feet. It knocked me straight off my feet and I landed on the ground, hard.

"If you think that hurt, wait until you meet my Aunt Betty." Giselle told me before ordering Uncle Jerry to put me back in the chair and restrain me better this time.

** Calla's POV **

"Here." I handed Jaden the plasma gun as I walked back into the main hall, Kieran following behind me.

"What, no Paragun?" He questioned, accepting the weapon. I shook my head as I adjusted the electric glove on my hand.

"Using the Paragun would imply that I intended to let those bastards live." I replied.

"She's still a little hot-headed." Kieran warned before looking at Douglas. "Rio's going to stay with the other students – they're watching the Despicable Me movies, so they should be busy for a while."

"What about you?" Douglas questioned.

"I want to help find Chase." He replied. "Tell me what I can do."

"Well, we still need to find him." Jaden told him.

"He could be anywhere." Bree fretted.

"And if he's in pieces, he could be everywhere." Adam added. I stared at him, horrified. "Sorry."

"Wait a second. I have Giselle's phone number." Douglas realized. He looked at us. "Would it be weird to just call her?"

All of us, even Adam, stared at him like he was an idiot.

"You don't want to seem to eager. Wait two days before you ask her out again." Leo told him sarcastically.

"Yeah, good idea." Douglas agreed.

"Are you insane?!" Kieran demanded when Douglas didn't pick up on Leo's sarcasm. "Call her so we can trace her location!"

"Right." Douglas nodded, dialling the number into the computer so we could get a visual too. She picked up on the second right.

" _Hello?"_  She appeared to be in some sort of lab, but there was no telling where that lab could be.

"Hey Giselle." Douglas grinned. "It's Dougie."

She stared at him for a moment.  _"You called my cell phone? I abduct one of your bionic kids and you called my cell phone?"_

Douglas looked at us. "I told you it was a bad idea; I'm hanging up."

"You keep her on the line!" Leo slapped his hand away from the computer. "I can track her location. I do it all the time to spy on you guy…the enemy."

"Move." I ordered, pushing Douglas out of my way so I could talk to Giselle. "Where's my boyfriend, bitch?"

" _I suggest you start shopping for a new man, honey. You're never going to see Chase again."_  She replied sweetly. I was about to retort, but Douglas took my spot.

"Hey Giselle, I know it's been about twenty years, but have you seen my grey hoodie?" He questioned, clearly trying to keep her talking.

" _Give it up, Douglas."_  Giselle rolled her eyes.  _"I know you're trying to trace me. But you're too late."_

She stepped back to show us what was behind her. More importantly, who was behind her. Chase was strapped to some kind of table, a middle-aged, overweight man standing above him.

"Chase…" I murmured, watching him struggle against the restraints. He was still alive.

"Is that Uncle Jerry?" Douglas demanded, looking at the man. "Where've you been, man? You dropped out of our fantasy football league!"

" _Uncle Jerry is one of my new androids. I can give him whatever form I want."_  Giselle replied.  _"See?"_

She pressed a button and Uncle Jerry's appearance changed to that of a government agent. He raised his hand and it turned into a metal claw. Chase panicked at the sight of it, fighting desperately against the restraints that just wouldn't budge.

"Hurry!" Adam hissed. But we couldn't speed the tracing program up any faster. But thankfully, it was almost done.

"…I got her location!" Leo exclaimed moments later, grinning.

"Come on, I'll super speed us." Bree offered. We reached to grab onto her shoulders, but Giselle stopped us.

" _You can't leave now."_  She told us, smiling.  _"You have company."_

Suddenly, the hydroloop tunnel's doors opened, revealing a man, more likely an android, dressed in gear identical to the man in Giselle's lab. "Not a good time, dude. Can you come back later?" Adam asked.

The man didn't respond, instead turning to some of the students lingering in the hall. He shot them down with lasers, one by one. "Fred, Sam, Finn!" Kieran exclaimed as his fellow students went down.

The android turned on us next, shooting lasers before we could react. All of us instinctively jumped out of the way, ducking behind barriers and columns.

"Okay, I officially hate robots." Jaden complained. I groaned.

"It's not a robot, it's an android. There's a difference." I argued. Jaden looked at me.

"There is?" He demanded. I nodded.

"Well robots can occasionally appear human-like, but it's usually easy to tell that they're not. And they're made to follow a specific set of instructions. Androids always look like humans and have the capability to stray from their original programming to adapt to certain situations and-"

"Not the time for the science lecture, Calla!" Leo snapped.

"Sorry." I apologized. Kieran looked at me.

"We have to get the students out of here." He told me. I nodded.

"Go, we'll cover you." I offered. Kieran nodded and ran out from his hiding spot while Jaden and I distracted the android with blasts from our weapons. They didn't do much – it was almost as if we weren't doing anything – but it did distract him long enough for Kieran to get his friends out of harm's way.

"We have to protect the Academy." Bree worried as Kieran pushed the guys out of the room.

Adam leapt out from his hiding spot and hit the android with his heat vision. He stopped after a long moment, obviously expecting there to be some effect. There wasn't.

Leo tried next, throwing a fireball at him. The android caught it and threw it right back. Bree let out a frustrated sound and ran at the android, only for him to hold her back with a hand on her head.

"Am I close?" Bree exclaimed, unable to see through the hand on her head. Still, she swung her fists blindly, hoping to hit something. "Talk me through it!"

"You're doing great, honey!" Jaden replied encouragingly. The android threw her to the ground. "Come on." He pulled her back behind the column, giving her the chance to recover.

"That is the most powerful android I've ever seen." Douglas sighed, looking at us.

"How are we going to get past him?" Bree demanded. "We have to get to Chase."

"Agreed." I nodded. Leo perked up and pulled out his phone.

"Here." He told us, pressing a few buttons. "I just sent you the coordinates. Bree, take Adam and Calla and go get him."

"We'll stay here and cover you." Kieran offered. Bree nodded.

"Be careful." I warned.

"Adam, let's go get our mission suits." Bree told her brother.

"Good idea. We want to look our best when we're being killed." He agreed, the three of us running off.

** Kieran's POV **

I watched Adam, Bree, and Calla go, then turned to the other three students in the room.

"Fred, take the injured to the infirmary." I ordered. He nodded, helping his friends up.

Rio? I called over the telepathic link my twin and I shared.

Kieran, what's going on? What's wrong? She demanded back.

Killer android is loose in the school. Leo, Douglas, and I are going to take care of it, but you need to keep all the students in the classroom you're in. I instructed.

…Alright. She hesitated at first, but then made her decision. Be careful. Where are Adam, Bree, Chase, and Calla?

Busy. I didn't have time to elaborate. Don't let anyone into the classroom until I give you the okay.

Got it. She agreed. I looked at Leo.

"Rio's got the students covered. Now, what do we do about ugly here?" I questioned.

"You, Douglas, Jaden, and I are going to lead him into the training room." Leo decided.

"I'm going to leave that to you guys." Douglas tried to back out. "I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Leo and I exchanged looks. "Well today, you're a victim!" Jaden exclaimed, pushing Douglas into the line of fire. The android focused his blasts of green energy on Douglas, who managed to dodge them long enough to flee into the training room. I only hoped that we could figure out a way to destroy him and quick.

** Chase's POV **

I looked up at Giselle nervously as she sharpened her knife. My family was coming for me, I knew that, and surely they'd tracked the phone call back here, but I was starting to wonder if they'd get here in time.

Suddenly, beeping sounds came from the nearby computer. I couldn't see the monitor because Troy was blocking it, but I was hoping that it was something, anything, that would distract Giselle from the chip extraction.

"Adam, Bree, and Calla are here." Troy announced, sounding annoyed. I grinned.

"I knew they'd come for me! How did I know? Because I'm…" I tried to move my hands, only to remember that they were strapped down. "Well, if my hands were free, I'd be pointing at my head and saying 'brilliant'!"

Troy looked at me, then at Giselle. "Maybe we should sedate him. Not for the pain; I'm just sick of hearing him talk."

Giselle ignored him. "They may have gotten past one android, but let's see how they do against ten of them."

"No!" Troy stopped her from summoning more androids. "I might be one of your older models, but I can easily take those three."

"Then do it." Giselle ordered. Troy nodded and walked out into the hall. Giselle looked at the android next to me. "And you, get cutting."

She stormed out to follow Troy, while the android descended on me with his blade.

"Wait, no. Please stop." I begged, shrinking away from the blade. "Please. AHHHH!"

** Kieran's POV **

We managed to keep the android in the training center, but that was about as much as we could do. Most of the students were gone, hiding in the other classroom with Rio, but there were a few still hanging around. As I didn't have a blaster and none of my abilities were good for long range, I was in charge of getting the students out while Leo, Jaden and Douglas covered me.

Eventually, we found ourselves hiding in a supply closet connecting to the training area, hoping that we could figure out way to get rid of the android.

"You know," Douglas breathed heavily, leaning against the wall. "I created a team of bionic superhumans specifically so others would fight my battles!"

"These things aren't humans, they're machines! How are we supposed to stop them?" I demanded.

"Well, they must have some sort of internal power source that we can take out so they'll deactivate." Leo replied hopefully. Douglas nodded.

"When Giselle and I built robots in school, we always fought over where to put the power source." He told us. "I said in the neck for easy access, but she said in the nose so it's not exposed. It's actually why we broke up."

Jaden chuckled. "Trust me, that is not why you broke up."

"The point is," Douglas continued, glaring at the chef, "I bet his power source is in his nose. We just need to get in there and shut it down."

"I am not sticking my fingers in his nose." Leo shook his head.

"Well, you can get in there other ways. It's just going to take you longer to get there." I offered, smirking at the look of disgust on his face.

"Douglas, you go." Jaden ordered. "We'll cover you."

"Or, you can be the victim." Douglas offered, pushing Jaden out into the training room. He glared at us, but it was too late to go back and hide, because the android had spotted him.

He ducked behind the nearest barrier, which was one of the targets we used for training and I prayed that he would be able to figure this out.

** Bree's POV **

"This hall's empty." Calla announced, walking over to me.

"I can't find him anywhere." I sighed, looking at Adam as he looked around.

"Me neither." Adam replied just as a loud, agonized scream echoed through the halls. Out eyes went wide, recognizing the voice.

"That's Chase!" Calla exclaimed, looking around as if trying to pinpoint where he was.

"He must really be in pain." Adam realized. "Normally, I find his screams soothing."

"Let's go." I instructed, starting in the direction of my brother's scream. We skidded to a stop, Troy blocking our path.

"Troy." Adam growled. Calla glared at the android.

"Get out of my way, ponytail." She warned, raising the hand that had the electric glove.

"Which one of you should I take out first?" He questioned as Giselle walked up behind him.

"Giselle?" Adam suggested hopefully. No dice. Adam glared at Troy and blasted his heat vision at him while Calla and I stepped out of the way. Troy blasted his own heat vision at the same time and the two lasers met, blocking each other until the amount of power caused a minor explosion. It knocked both Troy and Adam to the ground, but they were back on their feet within seconds.

"Okay. So you have heat vision, huh?" Adam hummed thoughtfully. "How about super strength?"

He threw a punch at Troy, only to miss and get kicked in the stomach. Troy kicked him again, at the same time as Adam sent a punch at his abdomen and they both ended up on the floor. Again.

"Boys." I sighed, glancing at Calla. Suddenly, I was kicked in the shoulder, the surprise of the impact sending me to the ground beside Adam. Calla fell next, the kick hitting the small of her back. I looked up at Giselle, surprised.

"Wait, you make movies, build robots, and you can fight?" I questioned. "Look, I know I'm supposed to hate you, but can I just say…you go girl."

** Kieran's POV **

I, for one, did not envy Jaden right now. Picking a killer android's nose was definitely not on his to-do list. Ever the germ hater, he slowly walked up behind the android as it blasted shots at fleeing students, a Kleenex in Jaden's hands.

Unfortunately, the android saw him coming. They stared at each other for a moment before Jaden decided that it was high time he got his ass out of there. He fled back to the safety of the storage closet, ducking to avoid being blasted in the head.

"This isn't working!" He exclaimed, looking at Douglas, Leo and I.

"Jay's right. Two of us have to distract him so the other can get in that nose, flip his switch, and shut him down!" I agreed.

Douglas, Jaden and Leo looked at each other, then at me. "You're turn, K-Dog." Leo announced, pushing me out.

He looked up at the android, realizing that I was pretty much screwed. Out of my four abilities, one was twin telepathy (useless), one was my electric bo staff, which I knew wouldn't do a thing, one was geo-leaping (again, useless) and the other was my gravity manipulation, which would just make it harder to pick his nose. "Hi." I started to back up, trying to think of a plan, but it was too late.

The android grabbed me from my legs, twisted me over his shoulder, and slammed me into the ground. I gasped on impact, all the air rushing from my lungs. I closed my eyes, fighting against the pain in my back. It was over. I could practically sense the energy coming from the energy blast I was about to receive.

Suddenly, there was a weird shout and I looked up to see Leo perched on the android's back, holding on for dear life.

"Come on, buddy!" I encouraged. "Dig!"

Leo clutched the android's shirt with one hand, the other forcing two fingers up his nose.

"C'mon!" Leo exclaimed when he couldn't find the power source at first. "This is disgusting!"

After a few minutes of the android struggling and Leo digging, he grinned. "Got it!" He announced as the android froze. He climbed off the android's back, shaking his hand to remove the boogers.

"Did she really have to give those things robo-snot?" He demanded, looking at Douglas. Douglas grinned.

"That was my idea." He admitted. Leo glared at him. "Anyway, come on. We have to go help Adam, Bree, and Calla find Chase."

"Kieran, can you geo-leap us to the lab?" Jaden demanded, looking at me. I sighed and started to get up, but fell back down when pain radiated through my back.

"Give me a minute?" I breathed, letting my head fall back against the cold floor. Just one minute though. Then we really would have to go.

** Bree's POV **

So, Troy and Giselle were both experiences fighters. That sucked for us, but we seemed to be doing rather well. Calla and Adam were taking on Troy together. Surprisingly, they were a good team. Adam would deal out most of the punches and kicks, and Calla would use him as a distraction while she tried to blast Troy with her glove. The electricity from it did do some damage – it hurt a bit, at least – and seemed to be slowing the android down.

Meanwhile, I was face to face with Giselle. She had obviously been trained by someone who knew what they were doing, but she was human as well, so I had the advantage. I blocked as many of her blows as I could, endured the hits she managed to land, and I didn't hesitate to use my speed to my advantage.

It was only when I managed to knock her down did Troy realize that his boss was in trouble. "Giselle!" He cried, shocked that I could win that fight.

He ran to her, obviously meaning to help him up. Adam took advantage of his distraction, using his strength to slam his elbow into his back. Troy fell with a pained gasp, unable to get back up again.

"You may have cool abilities, but there's one thing you haven't learned: Real heroes hit people while their backs are turned." Adam exclaimed.

"Guys!" Calla snapped. She was at the door to what must be the lab, fiddling with the wires behind an electronic panel.

"It's locked?" I guessed, pushing on the door. It didn't budge.

"Not anymore." Calla replied, connecting two wires. The door slid open and she smirked, proud of herself. That smile faded when we saw Chase inside. "Chase!"

He was lying flat on a table, eyes closed and a blanket covering his body. We raced to him, Adam reaching him first. He ripped blanket away and placed his head on Chase's chest, hoping to find him breathing. Calla had taken his wrist, checking for a pulse even as I checked his neck for one. After a few long moments of nothing, I let out a shaky breath. No, God no. Please…he couldn't be…

"He's n-not breathing." Adam realized, shaking Chase hard.

"There's no pulse." I whimpered.

"No. No, there's got to be." Calla whispered. But she knew the truth.

"No, this isn't happening." Adam was in denial. "C'mon Chase. Chase, c'mon." He pleaded, shaking him.

"Adam." My vision was blurry with tears. Oh my god…I got my little brother killed. "Adam, Adam!"

I pulled him away from our little brother's body. "Bree-" Adam started, looking like he wanted to yell.

"It's over. He's gone." I whispered. Adam stared at me in horror, not wanting to believe it. "And it's all my fault."

I looked at Calla, expecting her to agree. She didn't. She didn't seem to have even heard me, instead staring at Chase. Tears were streaming down her face as she shook from barely contained sobs.

"I'm the worst brother ever." Adam's voice was thick with grief. "All I ever did was punch him and make fun of him…I never even told him I loved him."

"Adam…" He shouldn't feel guilty. Not for anything. This was my fault, I knew that, everyone knew that. Chase was dead and it was all my fault. "Calla…"

"Shut up." She looked at me, pain in her eyes. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Just shut up."

We hardly noticed when Giselle walked back in. We wouldn't have noticed at all if Giselle hadn't decided to brag about murdering Chase. "Oh, what a shame. You arrive too late."

"I will destroy you for what you did to him!" Adam snarled, even as Calla raised her glove, pointing it directly at Giselle's heart.

"I am so sorry for your loss." Giselle rolled her eyes mockingly. "But why mourn your brother, when you can join him?"

Giselle pressed a button on her watch and a door to our right opened up. The android from before stood behind it, eyes blank of all emotion. That is, until he was pushed over by none other than…Chase?

We stared at him in total shock, trying to understand how this was possible. "Yeah, join me in kicking your ass." He replied, smirking cockily.

"Chase?" I was too shocked to move. He smiled at me.

"What took you guys so long?" He joked. He was about to say something else, but stopped when Calla suddenly tackled him in a hug, almost knocking them both to the ground. "I missed you too." He murmured in her hair, holding her tightly.

"Y-You're alive!" Adam exclaimed before looking back at the body on the table. "Wait, there's two of you! I'm having very mixed emotions right now."

He looked back at the body and grimaced, then, wanting to forget that he ever saw it, covered it with the blanket.

"How is this possible?" Giselle demanded, looking at us. Chase released Calla and glared at Giselle.

"After you were gone, I used my telekinesis to redirect the android's blade to cut me free." He replied, smirking cockily.

"Wait, then who's on the table?" I asked, confused.

"My android replica." He answered. "Giselle was foolish enough to show me how she makes them. So I distracted her android and I made one that looks like me. When he tried to take my chip out, I took him out."

"Well done." Giselle didn't look the least bit worried about her plans. "But there's plenty more where he came from."

She pressed a button on her watch and suddenly, we were surrounded by androids. At least a dozen of them surrounded us, and I knew that we couldn't fight them all off ourselves.

As it turns out, we didn't need to. Three were taken out by fireballs to the face. Three were destroyed by plasma balls to the gut. Another three were destroyed by blasts of energy. It was only when the three closest to the door were taken out by an electric bo staff did we realize who had come to our rescue.

Jaden, Leo, Kieran, and Douglas stood at the entrance, all ready to fight. Leo was glaring at Giselle, Jaden and Douglas still point their weapons at her, and Kieran holding his bo staff threateningly.

"I guess androids aren't immortal after all." Leo stated, looking around.

"Technically, they're not dead, they're deactivated." Douglas began, but Leo stopped him.

"It's a good line, just go with it." He told him.

Jaden just looked at the androids in relief. "I am so glad that worked because I did not want to pick twenty noses."

I so did not want to know what he meant by that.

"I thought I'd seen the last of you, Douglas." Giselle growled, clearly pissed that the android hadn't finished them off.

"Yeah, well, this time I'm breaking up with you." He announced, pointing his weapon at her. Only for Troy to take it right out of his hands. "Hey!"

Troy walked over and pointed the weapon at me, Calla, and my brothers.

"About time!" Giselle snapped. Then, when Troy didn't kill us right away, she frowned. "What are you waiting for? Take them out!"

"Oh, I will." Troy assured her. Then, to everyone's surprise, he turned the weapon on her. "But I'm taking you out first."

"What? What are you doing?" Giselle demanded, subtly edging towards the door.

"Surviving." Troy replied. "You were going to get rid of me, so I'm going to get rid of you. And once I do, I'll be in charge of all your androids."

"You?" Giselle almost laughed. "Please. No one's going to take you seriously."

"Then I'll make them take me seriously." Troy retorted. "And we won't just take out bionic humans. We'll take out all humans."

He aimed the gun carefully. "Goodbye Giselle."

Giselle immedietly bolted behind Douglas. "Save me and I'll get coffee with you." She bargained. Douglas stopped, thinking hard about it.

"Dude!" Jaden exclaimed, physically pulling Douglas away from his ex. That left Giselle wide open. Troy pulled the trigger and the blast hit Giselle in the upper shoulder. She fell to the ground, either knocking her unconscious, or worse.

"Maybe now you'll take me seriously, human." Troy sneered.

"Get him!" Chase ordered. We rushed at him, but Troy grabbed me by the wrist, spun me around, and held me to his chest with the gun pointed at my head.

"One more step and I'll waste her!" He snapped, causing everyone to freeze. I struggled against his grip, but it was too strong.

"Adam, use your blast wave!" I cried, trying to pull away. He looked at me in shock, not moving.

"No, it will take you out too." He reminded me. I'd already known that, but this was our only chance to destroy Troy. If he got away, he'd kill everyone. And I knew that even if the others did as he said, he was still going to kill me. At least this way, I'd be doing some good.

"Troy has no regard for human life." I told them. "If taking me out means saving others, then do it."

Troy continued to try and back away, dragging me along with him.

"I can't." Adam shook his head.

"He's going to take me out anyway. You might as well take me out too." I pleaded. It was my fault that Troy had gotten this far. I couldn't let anyone else get hurt because of me.

"Bree…" Adam still looked like he was going to refuse, so I looked at the others. I could see horror in many of their eyes, but this had to be done.

"Please." I whispered brokenly.

"She's right." Calla stated after a moment.

"Calla, no." Jaden looked at her, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry Jay. I hate to say this, but she's right." Calla looked at me. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Bree."

"It's okay." I assured her, assured them, not wanting anyone to feel any guilt for this. Troy, meanwhile, chuckled.

"They don't have the guts." He told me, continuing to back up.

Calla was the first to raised her weapon, electricity sparking off her glove. I could see regret and grief shining in her eyes, but I also knew that she would do what she had to.

Kieran's bo staff was raised next, held as if he might throw it. He gave me a nod, letting his respect for my sacrifice show on his face.

Leo stepped closer to us, raising his hand where a fireball was already forming. He looked hesitant about doing this, his hand trembling slightly.

Chase pulled out his bo staff next, sadness written all over his face. He didn't want to do this, and a part of me wondered if he really would go through with it.

Finally, Adam joined the group, energy flowing from the appliances in the room to his arms. Pain masked his face and hid any traces of anger that might still be there.

The only ones that didn't raised a weapon were Douglas and Jaden. Douglas had no weapon to raise, but Jaden…the look he was giving me was so heartbroken and angry and full of grief that I found myself unable to meet his gaze.

Suddenly, Troy banged into the sink, turning it on accidently. He flinched at the sight of it, pushing both of us forward half a step. But why would he flinch? What was so wrong with the sink?

Suddenly, his words from earlier that day came back to me.

" _I'm not much of a water person."_

Not much of a water person…was he afraid of the water? Being an android, could he even touch water? Come to think of it, I'd never seen Marcus go near water either, and he was the most sophisticated android I knew of, aside from Troy. Maybe…

Adrenaline burst through me, giving me strength and speed I'd never had before. I elbowed Troy in the gut, catching him by surprise. Then, using my superspeed, I knocked the gun out of his hands and pinned his arm behind his back before he even knew what was happening.

I pushed him towards the sink. "You owe me a swim." I hissed before pushing him in, headfirst. To my relief, he began to spark. I stepped back with a smile, watching him twitch and spark until his body finally went limp.

Suddenly, I was hit by a blast of pure energy. The impact threw me into the sink and I fell to the ground with a groan.

"Adam!" I heard Douglas shout, annoyed.

"What? I thought we were doing this?" He replied. Hands were suddenly on my shoulders, helping me stand.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Jaden demanded, steadying me. I nodded, leaning on him a little.

"I'm fine." I replied. Adam had obviously put as little energy as possible into his attack, clearly not wanting to hurt me more than necessary.

"That was amazing." Chase grinned at me. "How did you know to do that?"

"I finally realized why Troy didn't like water." I replied. "The old androids must be like cell phones. Sophisticated technology, but if you drop it in water, it's ruined."

"You're a genius." Jaden beamed at me, leaning in and kissing me.

"Wait," Adam said after I pulled away. "Does this mean that the role in Bionic Action Hero is up for grabs."

"Well, I doubt Giselle's going to be making any more…" Leo trailed off, looking around the room. "Where's Giselle?"

She was gone. Troy must have only injured her. "Oh man." Douglas sighed. "The good ones always get away."

We all looked at him. "I mean, oh no."

"Come on. Let's go." I told them, wanting to get out of here.

** Chase's POV **

"Come on. Let's go." Bree announced, clearly uncomfortable here. Everyone started to leave, but I hung back a bit.

"Adam!" I called, stopping him.

"Yeah?" He looked at me, expectantly. I hesitated. Adam and I had never really had any sort of deep or emotional talk, but after hearing what he said back there, when he thought I was dead, I had to say something.

"Just so you know, I love you too." I told him, seriously. He stared at me for a moment, before forcing a smirk on his face.

"Uh, I never said that." He lied, trying to keep up the façade of being not caring. "You misheard me."

I chuckled, playing along. He gave me a look, then punched me in the shoulder and bolted. I smiled, despite the pain, because I knew that was his way of saying 'yeah, I do care'.

** Xxx **

Several hours later, and mostly everyone had gone to bed. Rio and Kieran had taken care of the mess the android had made to the training area. Most of the students had been pretty confused as to what had happened, but had accepted the excuse that it was a training exercise. No need to worry them about stuff that probably wouldn't affect them. Probably.

After calming Rio down – she was pretty pissed off that she didn't get to help kick android ass – she and Kieran had gone off to bed. Jaden had made dinner, though no one had really been interested in eating, and then disappeared into the kitchen to prepare for tomorrow's breakfast.

At this point, I was one of the only ones up. I was in the mentor's quarters, having just changed into my pyjamas. I just heading out the door when Bree stopped me.

"Hey Chase?" My sister walked up to me, biting her lip nervously. I frowned.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"I um…I'm sorry." She apologized. I sighed. She'd already apologized a lot.

"Bree-" I began, but she shook her head.

"Let me finish." She insisted. "I am so sorry for everything. None of this would have happened if I hadn't given those documents to Troy."

"Everyone makes mistakes." I assured her.

"Still, I screwed up and you nearly died because of it." She told me. "I can't believe I trusted Troy just because he was cute. And kind. And ripped."

"Yeah, well now he's mangled, melted, and dead." I told her. She gave me a look. "Bree, you messed up. But you more than made up for it today. And you had no way to know that he was an android."

"I guess." She mumbled.

"No one here blames you." I told her. Bree hesitated.

"…Yeah. Right." She eventually agreed. I frowned.

"Did someone blame you?" I questioned. She shook her head quickly. Too quickly. "Bree, who blamed you?"

** Calla's POV **

I stepped out of the bathroom, feeling a lot more relaxed after my shower. I glanced at my bed, not at all surprised to see Chase already sitting comfortably in it. "It's been one hell of a long day." I mentioned, shutting off my laptop. I'd already changed the password, making it much harder to guess this time.

"You can say that again." He agreed, sliding over so I could lie down next to him. I smiled, turning on my side to look at him as he absently played with my hair. "I can't believe that Troy was an android."

"Yeah. I'm so over androids and robots." I chuckled. He nodded, then frowned thoughtfully. "What's up?"

"What did you say to Bree?" He questioned. I looked away guiltily. "Seriously, what happened wasn't entirely her fault."

"I know, I know." I sighed. "I guess I was a little hard on her."

"A little?" He questioned.

"Look, I was angry and worried and upset and I guess I took it out on her." I admitted. "I said some things I shouldn't have."

"So I hear." He agreed. I nodded.

"I'll talk to her in the morning, I promise." I assured him. "I'll tell her I didn't mean it."

"Thank you." He kissed me on the forehead.

We sat there for a bit, taking in the silence. Then I sighed. "Still, evil ex-girlfriends, armies of killer androids…when did our lives become so weird?"

"No idea." He agreed. "But everything worked out in the end."

I looked at him. "Really?"

"What?" He smiled comfortingly at me. "Everyone's okay."

"Giselle's still out there." I pointed out, biting back a yawn.

"True, but without her army of androids, she's harmless." He pointed out. I nodded, letting my eyes slip shut. Today had been such a long day. But Chase was right. Everyone was okay, the androids were gone, and Giselle had nothing left to help her with her evil plans…

** Giselle's POV **

"Finally." I sighed as I entered the dingy old building. It had taken me ages to find this place, even after I found Douglas' address. His basement lair had been well hidden, even I had to admit that. But eventually, I found my way into the old place. It was dark down there, enough that I needed my flashlight to see. There were a few old desks, presumably where computers had been placed, and what looked like a large display case near the back, the top completely shattered. A couple of broken chairs lay discarded in the corner, near the remains of an old propane tank. Clearly, a couple of serious fights had gone down here.

Then I found what I was looking for – a pile of rubble big enough to hide a body. My phone beeped, confirming that this was what was I was looking for. I smiled. "There we go."

I knew down and, using my good arm (the other was in a sling thanks to Troy) dug into the rubble until I felt something cool and metallic.

"Troy was such a disappointment." I muttered under my breath. "But you won't be."

I pulled my hand out, smiling at the sight of the android hand in my own. "Hello Marcus."


	18. Consequences

** Chase's POV **

About a week after what happened with Giselle and people were still talking about it all over the Academy. All the students wanted to know where the android had come from, if there were more on the way, and things like that. And no matter how many times we assured them that the androids were gone, rumours still spread. More than once, I could hear some of the students talking about killer androids and robots and cyborgs invading the school. Eventually, we decided to just let them talk. Sooner or later, they'd realize that the androids were a thing of the past. Mr. Davenport had been worried, understandably, and had increased security around the island.

Anyway, we were all hanging around, enjoying our downtime in our quarters while students had the weekend off.

"Okay Chase. Would you rather…" Rio trailed off, curled up on the couch with Adam, "…know when you're going to die, or know how you're going to die?"

Since we'd been playing this game for more than an hour, I figured that she was out of good questions. "I'd rather know how I'm going to die, so I can avoid what kills me."

"Fair enough." The younger girl shrugged, grabbing a potato chip.

"Calla." I turned to my girlfriend. "Would you rather…never use the internet again, or never use your cell phone again?"

"Dude, not fair." She complained, dipping her chip in the salsa bowl. "Um…I can say goodbye to my cell phone. I can just use walkie-talkies or something. I need my WIFI."

"That would be funny to watch." Leo joked. Calla raised an eyebrow at him.

"Leo, would you rather…" She smirked, "…be the richest man on earth with the most amazing house, but lose your bionics, or be a bionic hobo?"

I chuckled at the torn look on Leo's face. "Bionic hobo." He finally admitted. He turned to Bree, about to ask his question when a beep came from the computer and Mr. Davenport's face appeared on the screen at the other end of the room.

"Hey Mr. D, would you rather be rich but stupid, or genius but broke?" Jaden questioned, smirking at the screen.

"Doesn't matter. I'm a rich genius already." He rolled his eyes. "I need Calla, Chase, Bree, Adam, Leo, and Kieran down in the main classroom immediately."

"Why? What's going on?" Kieran demanded, standing up with a frown.

"I've got a mission for the six of you." Mr. Davenport replied before signing out. Kieran glanced at us.

"All six of us? Calla and I are coming too?" He questioned. I shared his confusion. Calla rarely came on missions with us, and no students had been allowed on missions since the earthquake in Mission Creek. What was going on that Mr. Davenport thought they both needed to be on the mission?

"Well, there goes our plans for the day." Adam sighed, kissing Rio before standing up.

"Let's go find out what's going on." I suggested, leading them out of the room. We headed down to the classroom to find it empty, aside from Mr. Davenport. He was looking over some blue prints of a building, a deep frown on his face.

"A mission, sir?" Calla questioned, sitting down at the nearby desk. Mr. Davenport nodded.

"Douglas and I have been going through Giselle's history, looking for some of her labs and old work places where stray androids or other dangerous technologies may be." He began, showing us a large building, similar to the lab we just got out of last week. "We've been trying to find out how she designed them so that we can take out androids more easily in the future, if the need should occur."

"Great. So, we're going to retrieve the stats? You need all six of us to do that?" I questioned, sceptical. Mr. Davenport sighed.

"We tried to access the files wirelessly, but we found this." He showed a series of lines of code. It took even me a moment to realize their purpose, but when I did, I frowned.

"Shit." I muttered, knowing that it wasn't good.

"What?" Leo frowned. "What is it?"

"Those lines of code are a sample of a very sophisticated virus." Calla explained, also recognizing the code. "Basically, if a certain code is not inputted at a specific preset time, then it will begin to delete everything on the server."

"So, we've lost our only advantage is what you're saying?" Kieran questioned.

"Well, it depends. Have you figured out when the code has to be inputted?" I asked, looking at Mr. Davenport. He nodded.

"It looks like Giselle had it set that she would enter not one, but two codes every week. Into two separate computers." He replied, changing the screen back to the blueprints. "It has to be inputted within the next five hours, or all the information will be deleted before we can use it."

"Alright, sounds easy enough." I replied thoughtfully. Wow, Giselle had been very careful with her security. Two codes on two different computers? Someone was paranoid and protective of her work. "But why do you need six of us?"

"Like I said, two codes, two computers." Mr. Davenport replied. "And because of our limited timeline, I need two people that can get past her firewalls and into her servers, and the only people who already know how to do something this complicated are Calla and Chase."

"Five hours is limited?" Bree questioned. Calla raised an eyebrow at her.

"I take it you've never tried to hack into a computer system with this strong a firewall and with at least one program set to delete the information. It wouldn't surprise me if she's got a few other hidden programs set to delete everything if a non-authorized user tries to access her information." She said coolly. "It's going to be hard enough to break in, since she's likely to have an android or two around to guard the computers. Trust me, we need all the time we can get."

"Alright." Bree sighed.

"I need you guys to split up into two groups of three and retrieve the information." Mr. Davenport ordered. "As Kieran is one of the most advanced students, he will be joining you for some extra backup in case Giselle has more androids lying around."

"Awesome." Kieran grinned, nodding.

"Everyone clear on what your mission is?" Mr. Davenport questioned. We all nodded. "Good. I expect you to leave immediately. Chase is mission leader, as usual. I'll take care of your classes today."

"Yes sir." I nodded. He left the room to go speak to the others students and I turned to the others. "Alright, it's simple enough. Kieran and Adam will go with me to take care of computer number one. Calla, you take Bree and Leo and deal with computer number two."

"Alright, mission suits guys." Adam announced, heading off towards our quarters. Bree and Leo followed him.

"Chase, can we talk?" Calla looked at me, a displeased look on her face.

"Uh, I'll go get some gear to bring with us." Kieran offered, walking out of the room towards the storage closet.

"What's up?" I asked, already having an idea of where this was going.

"About the teams…" She began. I held up a hand to stop her.

"No, you can't trade Bree for Kieran." I told her. She huffed a little, annoyed. "I thought you guys were cool."

"What gave you that idea?" She questioned.

"You said you'd talk to her." I reminded her. She nodded.

"I said I'd apologize to her for what I said, and I did that." She agreed. "But I didn't say I was going to forgive her."

"Calla, c'mon." I told her. She gave me a look.

"She stole information from my laptop, which I already don't let people touch, and then she handed it off to a complete stranger. I can't blame her for not knowing that Troy was an android, but I can be pissed at her for stealing information and nearly getting my boyfriend killed!"

"Yes, she nearly got me killed." I agreed. "But that means it's up to me whether or not she deserves to be forgiven, and I say she does. You can't hate her forever, Calla."

"I don't hate her." Calla rolled her eyes. "But…I'm finding it hard to trust her right now. And if there is an android walking around in that lab, then I want someone I trust watching my back. And I trust Kieran a hell of a lot more than I trust her right now."

"You trust him more than you trust most people." I pointed out.

"And that's a bad thing?" She questioned.

"Well, you're pissed at Bree for stealing information from you, but he did the exact same thing." I pointed out. She nodded.

"And I was pissed at him for a while too." She reminded me. "Now, can we please switch the two of them?"

"No." I insisted. She glared at me, but nodded.

"Fine. You're mission leader, it's your call and I have to respect it." She replied. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go get changed into my mission suit."

She walked away stiffly, clearly annoyed. I sighed, hoping that by forcing them to work together, I was helping. After all, if the mission went well, Calla would have more reason to be in a good mood with my sister. I started heading towards my living quarters to get changed, shaking my head. I loved Calla, but she could hold a grudge like nobody's business.

** Bree's POV **

"Alright, where are these computers anyway?" I questioned as we looked up at the lab. We were on the outside the lab, on the other side of the fence as we figured out our plan.

"The first one is on the first floor and the second one is on the third." Chase replied, showing us a blueprint with his holographic projector. "Alright, the job is simple. Get in and get out as carefully as possible. It's possibly, and more than likely that Giselle has old androids around here. Maybe not as advanced as Troy, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least two robots hanging around to defend the place. Not to mention, we have no idea what kind of security system she has."

"Chase and I will be at the computers, trying to break through the firewall and copy the documents onto a storage device." Calla continued. "But we can't afford any distractions, so if Giselle's robots or security system activate, it will be your guys' jobs to watch our backs while we work."

"Calla will lead her team and I will lead mine." Chase finished. "We can't super-speed or geo-leap in without the risk that we activate the security system, but once the files have been copied, we can use those abilities to get us out. Any questions?"

' _Yeah, can I be on your team?'_  I almost asked. It was clear that Calla wasn't too happy with me for breaking into her laptop or trusting Troy, and I didn't want to work with her while she was in a bad mood. But I stayed silent, not wanting to cause trouble.

"Alright. Let's go." Calla announced, cracking her knuckles. "Babe, you mind?"

"Not at all." Chase replied, standing back. He raised his hands and, using his telekinesis, levitated us over the fence. We were running towards the lab the second our feet hit the ground, not wanting to wait around in case any alarms went off.

"This way!" Calla called, leading Leo and I down a different hallway. We split up from Kieran and my brothers, them going left while we went right and up the stairs. Calla didn't say anything as she ran, leading us down hallway after hallway without hesitation. Until, that is, she skidded to a stop in the middle of an intersection, her only options being left and forwards.

"Calla? Why are we stopping?" I questioned. Calla frowned, looking around.

"No…no, this isn't right. The next turn should have been a right." She muttered to herself. "But…"

"We're lost." Leo commented dryly.

"We're not lost!" Calla snapped. "We're just…I made a wrong turn somewhere."

"So we're lost." I commented. She glared at me, then looked at the halls.

"…Alright." She eventually sighed. "I think that we should have gone straight at the last intersection, instead of going left."

"You think?" Leo questioned. Calla glared at him.

"Hey. I only had twenty minutes to memorize the map and the codes for the computer." She retorted. "Sorry if I made a mistake."

"Look, let's just go back and go the right way, alright?" I suggested. She nodded.

"Yeah, okay." She agreed, turning on her heels. We raced back through the halls, going the right way this time, until Calla once again stopped in front of a grey door in the middle of the hallway. "Room 237. This is it."

"You sure?" Leo questioned, smirking. Calla rolled her eyes and gestured at the keypad.

"Do the honours?" She suggested. Leo smirked and, using his bionic arm, ripped the panel off the wall, exposing the wires underneath. "Thank you." She knelt down and began crossing wires. After a couple of seconds, she hummed in satisfaction and the doors slid open.

"Nice." I complimented. But the smiles were wiped off our faces when three androids (without their holograms) appeared, shooting blasts of green lasers at us.

We all leapt to the sides of the door, effectively dodging the blasts.

"Chase, we've got androids over here." Calla warned over the comm link.

" _Yeah, us too. Can you handle them?"_  He replied.

"Easy. Contact me when you're done with your half of the mission." She replied before looking at us. "Alright. I'll need a distraction and someone to cover my ass while I work."

"Leo's the distraction." I volunteered. He sent me a glare.

"Why me?" He retorted.

"Because you're more annoying." I replied with a smirk.

"But-" He began to argue, but Calla cut him off.

"That's enough." She hissed. "Leo, distract them and try to take them out if you can. Bree will help you." She ordered. "Keep them away from the computer."

"Got it." I agreed before speeding into the room. I charged at the first android, trying to think. There might be some pipes in the walls of the room. If we could find them and make them burst or something…

I dodged a blow from the android and kicked it to the ground. Leo was dealing with his about the same as I was – throwing punches that didn't hurt them and avoiding getting hurt himself.

Calla was standing at the computer, typing furiously. She wasn't completely focuses though, as she was constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure she was still in the clear.

"Aha!" I spun around, ducking to avoid being kicked in the head by one of the androids, and saw Leo on the back on an android. An immobile android. "Got it!"

"You deactivated it?" I questioned, falling back so that we were back to back, facing the remaining two androids.

"Yeah, the off switch is in their noses." He replied.

"You picked his nose?" I demanded, leaping at the nearest android. My blows weren't powerful, nor did they do much, but they did manage to slow him down.

"It was the best thing I could come up with!" Leo retorted, kicking the deactivated android to the ground. He spun around, kicking the second android in the gut with his bionic leg. It stumbled back a few feet before shooting a plasma blast at Leo's head. My step-brother ducked under it, shooting a fireball back in retaliation.

I dodged a plasma ball from my android opponent, glancing around the room to see if there was anything I could use as a weapon. There was a massive gas tank in the corner, with pipes leading up into the ceiling, some large canisters that contained who-knows-what, and a few tables with nothing more than a couple of wrenches on them. By the looks of the lab, I guessed that this room was mainly for minor repairs to machines, and was mostly focused on the computer. So, nothing useful.

"Calla, you mind hurrying up?" I called, glancing over my shoulder.

"Bree, you mind focusing on your opponent?" She challenged, completely engrossed in her task. I couldn't understand anything on the screen – it was all just gibberish to me – but she was clearly gaining some ground on her front.

Suddenly, I had an idea. I sped at my android, fists flying, but he was fast too. Too fast. He sent a hard blow to my gut that sent me flying backwards towards the computer. I hit Calla in the back, knocking her into the controls and I hit the ground with a thud. "Ow. Sorry."

"It's fine." Calla helped me to my feet. "You need to get rid of these guys."

"I know." I agreed. "I've got an idea."

"Does it involve picking noses?" She questioned, a small smirk on her face. I laughed lightly.

"Not quite." I replied, once again charging at the android. I blocked some of his blows and managed to get a few head shots, but was unable to put my plan into action. I glanced desperately at Leo, who was having about as much luck as me. "Leo!" He looked at me. "Punch him in the face. Right on the nose!"

"What?" He demanded, surprised. I rolled my eyes.

"Just do it!" I snapped. He nodded, not understanding my plan but knowing that I wouldn't tell him to do something like that unless I thought it might work. So he abruptly swung his bionic arm upwards, curving his fist so that it slammed into the nose from an angle. Because of the strength in his hand and because the android had no real protection over his face, the nose broke off and the android's eyes went dead. It fell to the ground, deactivated.

"How-" Leo looked at me, surprised.

"That's how you deactivate them without picking their noses!" I called, turning back to my android. This one was bigger than the rest, and clearly faster, but it was still nowhere near as advanced as Troy. I figured that these were some prototypes for androids that never got finished or something. "Alright. Two down, one to go."

I sped at the android, hoping my super speed would catch him off guard. It did not. In fact, he was expecting it. He spun me around, twisting my wrist hard as he did so. "Ah!" I cried, trying to pull away, but his grip was too strong, so I tried a different tactic. I pushed against him, sweeping his legs out from under him. I managed to get away, speeding backwards a few feet even as he got back to his feet.

"Almost done! Maybe another twenty minutes!" Calla shouted over her shoulder, typing faster and faster. Leo looked at the android, annoyed.

"Let's get this over with!" He complained, throwing a fireball at the android. The android ducked his head, the fireball flying straight past without hitting him.

I saw it all in slow motion. The fireball flew past the android. It flew past me, then past Calla. And it flew straight into the massive gas tank. I reacted instinctively, leaping in an attempt to push Calla out of the line of fire. There was a bright flash, a loud sound, then everything went black.

** Chase's POV **

Damn, I hated androids. We had seriously underestimated the number of Giselle's remaining androids – though they were much weaker and nowhere near as advanced as Troy had been, we hadn't expected there to be more than one or two. We were dealing with three up here, and Calla's team were dealing with at least two, more likely three.

Adam and Kieran had each taken care of one, Adam by destroying his and Kieran by deactivating his through the nose (why he would even think to pick the android's nose is beyond me, but it worked, so I wasn't about to argue) and were currently dealing with the third.

"That's two for me and one for Adam!" Kieran shouted triumphantly as he managed to take down the last one. He smirked at my brother. "I think the student just schooled the master."

"At least I've got a girlfriend." Adam retorted. Kieran chuckled good-naturedly.

"Dude, I'm so not jealous of you dating my twin sister." He replied before glancing at me. "How's it coming with the passcode thingy?"

"Alright, I suppose. It's going to take me another fifteen minutes to get past the-"

Suddenly, I heard what sounded like an explosion and the entire room shook. Gadgets and gizmos fell off shelves as the room tried to settle. The sound of smoke started filtering in.

"What was that?" I looked at the others, wide-eyed. I didn't wait for an answer, immediately going for my comm link. "Guys, what was that? Calla? Bree? Leo?" Silence. "Somebody answer me!"

Again, silence. I looked at the others. "We need to get down there." Adam said before I could, already heading for the door.

" _Guys!"_  Suddenly, Leo's voice came over the comms.

"Leo? Where are Bree and Calla? What happened?" I demanded.

" _I don't know."_  Leo admitted, coughing roughly.  _"I was fighting an android with Bree while Calla did her nerd thing, and I shot a fireball at him and I missed and then everything exploded."_

"We're on our way down. What about the android?" I questioned.

" _Pretty sure that's his head lying across from me, so it's safe to say that he's deactivated."_  Leo told me with a nervous laugh.

"You hurt?" I asked, concerned.

" _A few bumps and bruises, but other than that, no."_  Leo assured me.  _"But dude, I was at the other end of the room. Bree and Calla were both much closer."_

"Can you see them?" I inquired, gulping worriedly. They had to be okay. They had to be.

" _No. The explosion threw me out of the room and the ceiling caved in over the entrance."_  Leo replied.  _"There's no way we can get in there."_

"I can geo-leap." Kieran offered immediately, looking just as worried as Adam and I.

"Calla? Bree?" I said, my voice softer this time. "Please, answer me. Are you alright?"

There was a brief silence, then…

** Bree's POV **

I opened my eyes, immediately regretting it. Smoke burned my eyes, my ears were ringing, and everything hurt. Especially my side. I was lying on my back in the middle of the lab, sunlight filtering in through the broken ceiling…wait, why was it broken again?

It took me a minute to remember. Right, there was an explosion. That would explain why the ceiling had caved in, successfully blocking the only exit. I rolled my head to the side, seeing broken android parts lying around. At least we managed to get rid of the androids.

Suddenly, something shifted to my right. I looked up to see Calla leaning against the computer, head leaned back as she focused on her breathing. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, then mouthed something at me.

"What?" I attempted to say, then frowned when I couldn't hear anything. "The hell?" Again, silence.

Calla mouthed something else at me, but I couldn't quite understand it at first. "…after all of that." Finally, something filtered through.

"What?" I sat up slowly, wincing at the sharp pain in my side. I almost sighed in relief at the sound of my own voice, thankful that my hearing wasn't damaged. Calla laughed breathlessly, not moving.

"Give your hearing a few seconds to return – it's bound to be a little off after all of that." She repeated, closing her eyes. I looked over her, checking for injuries, and found that there was a bloody gash on her forehead. There was something wrong with her right shoulder too, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. "Better?"

"Yeah." I agreed, slowly standing up. The room seemed to spin for a moment, and the pain in my side increased, but I tried to ignore it. Calla frowned at me from her spot on the ground.

"You hurt?" She asked, moving to get up. But the second she moved her right arm, she went pale and fell back with a cry. "Ah!"

"Calla?" I exclaimed, kneeling next to her. I reached towards her arm, but she whimpered and shook her head.

"Don't. Just don't!" She hissed. I looked at her, but stopped. "Damn it."

"How bad?" I questioned.

"Collarbone…think it broke…when you pushed me into the computer." She managed through gritted teeth. "Damn, damn, damn…"

"I'm so sorry." I apologized.

"No." She looked at me. "You did good…probably saved my ass. Thanks."

"Okay." I didn't have the energy to argue with her. She looked around.

"Where's Leo?" She murmured, adjusting her position with a pained hiss. "Leo!"

Nothing. "We should call him on the comms." I reached for my ear, only to find that my comm link was missing. "I lost mine."

"Use mine." Calla muttered. "I kinda need my right hand to activate it, so it's useless to me."

"Right." I carefully took the comm out of her ear, checking the gash as I did so. It looked bad, but head wounds always did…right? I think that was what Mr. Davenport always said. "Leo? Guys, anyone there?"

" _Bree!"_  Chase's voice came from it, relieved.  _"We've been trying to reach you guys."_

"Leo okay?" I asked.

" _Yeah, he's fine. Just a little scraped up. What about you and Calla? Are you guys alright?"_  My brother demanded, panic edging into his voice. I smirked slightly, knowing how Calla would react if she could hear the conversation.

"We think that Calla's collarbone is broken." I told him seriously. "But other than that, all she's got is a cut on her forehead."

" _Why isn't she answering her comm?"_ Chase questioned.

"She couldn't move her right arm to reach for it. And I lost mine, so I'm using hers." I admitted before holding the comm out to her, holding down the button for her. "It's Chase."

"Babe, I'm fine." She assured him with a roll of her eyes. "Bree saved my life."

" _Thank you, Bree."_  Chase breathed when I took the comm back.  _"What about you? Are you hurt?"_

"I think I hit my side on the way down, maybe my head too, but I'm good." I replied, leaning against the computer.

" _Alright, thank God."_  He sighed.  _"Can you get out of there yourselves, or do you need Kieran to geo-leap you guys out?"_

"We need to finish the computer code thingy." I mentioned, shaking my head. Bad idea. The world swayed again and my vision blurred, but only for a second. Okay, not going to do that again. Maybe I had a concussion.

Then I realized that Chase was talking to me.  _"…even still work? Bree?"_

"Um…" I trailed off, not sure of the question.

"Tell him the computer's still working." Calla told me, using her left hand to hoist herself up while the right one was pressed into her stomach to relieve some of the pain and pressure. She was biting her lip. "I'm gonna try and finish the codes."

"She says she can do it." I told Chase.

" _Bree, are you sure you're okay?"_  He asked.

"Yes, I'm fine! Now finish your half of the mission so we can get out of here!" I snapped, deactivating the comm and shoving it in my pocket. Calla ignored that bit of the transaction, slowly typing with her left hand. It was slow and she was clearly in a lot of pain, but too focused to let anything distract her.

I leaned against the computer, trying to fight back the nausea that had crept up on me. Serves me right for eating right before a mission, I suppose. I closed my eyes for a second, a little worn out from the day's events.

"Bree?" I jumped when someone touched my arm. Calla was staring at me, concern written all over her face.

"Done?" I asked, blinking to try and clear my blurry vision.

"Yeah…are you okay?" She asked. "You're really pale, and a sweaty."

"'m fine." I muttered. She frowned.

"Really?" She didn't believe me for a moment. "Maybe you should probably sit down."

"'m fine!" I insisted, standing up straight. I was suddenly hit by a strong wave of vertigo and I reached out to steady myself. Unfortunately for Calla, I grabbed the wrong arm.

"Bree!" She gasped sharply, pulling away. I fell to the ground, landing on my butt.

"S'rry…" I managed as my side flared up again.

"It's fine. It's okay." She assured me, kneeling next to me. "You're hurt."

"So 're you." I replied, my vision blurry again. I blinked again to clear it, but suddenly realized how heavy my eye-lids were. I forced them open, but my vision didn't get much better.

"Yeah, but you might be worse." She muttered. "Does it hurt anywhere? Hard to breathe? Any burns from the explosion?"

"My side…" I sighed, not really wanting to argue with her…wait, what was I arguing with her about anyway?

"Which one?" She asked. I blinked at her, hearing her words but not processing them. "Bree, which side?"

"Left." I admitted. She reached for it and I flinched back, biting my lip to stop a whimper.

"Easy. I'm just going to look. I promise." She rubbed my shoulder gently before removing her good hand and lifting my jacket and undershirt up. Even though I knew she was trying to be gently, I sucked in a breath, already regretting letting her touch it. I didn't look, not wanting to see how badly it was damaged. But I did hear Calla's cuss.

"Shit." She hissed. "Give me the comm, now."

"Why?" I asked, frowning at her. She glanced down at my side and this time, I looked too. A large portion of the left side of my abdomen was coloured red, blue, and purple. I didn't think that was a good sign. I handed Calla the comm silently, wondering if it was the smoke in the air that was making it hard to breathe.

"Kieran?" Calla demanded, holding the comm up to her left ear. "Get your ass down here, now…No, I'm not. But Bree's hurt a little worse than we originally thought…"

She paused, looking at me. "Chase, hey…I don't think she realized how bad it was…I don't know, but…I'm no doctor, but I'm fairly sure she's dealing with internal bleeding."

"Wha'…" I frowned at her. "No, tha's jus' bruising."

"No, it's not, Bree." Calla's voice was steady, but too steady, as if she was forcing herself to remain calm. She turned back to the comm. "She needs a hospital Chase. Like yesterday."

"Let me help." Kieran appeared out of nowhere. Or had he been there the entire time? I couldn't be sure. He gently moved Calla out of the way and took my arm. He started to pull me to my feet, but the world swayed again, spiralling into darkness.

** Chase's POV **

I hate hospitals. I hated them. There were too busy and smelled like sick people and just the fact you were in one meant that something was seriously wrong. I paced the waiting room floor impatiently, waiting for some kind of news. We didn't know much, just that Mr. Davenport had signed a paper saying they could do anything they had to in order to make sure Bree was going to be alright and that Calla was getting some X-rays done and stuff. But it had been far too long for my liking.

The rest of the group were pretty impatient too. Because we had to finish the mission, Mr. Davenport, Jaden, and Rio had gotten to the hospital ahead of us, just in time for Kieran to arrive with Calla and Bree. By time we'd gotten here ourselves, the two girls had already gone through the emergency room doors and were out of our sight.

Jaden was pretty jittery, unable to sit still for more than a moment. But his eyes never left those doors. Rio was talking to Adam, assuring him that everything was going to be okay, while Leo and Kieran were both outside, talking on the phone. Leo was talking to his Mom, obviously, and once he saw how upset Jaden was, offered to call Officer Parker for him. A part of me argued that Calla was my girlfriend and that I should be the one calling her mom, but the other part of my mind told me that I needed to be in here, to get information of both of them.

"Chase?" Rio spoke up suddenly, looking up at me. I hadn't even noticed that she'd moved from Adam's side to talk to me. "What are their…how bad was it? Really?"

"Bree's in the worst condition of the two, I suspect." I murmured uncertainly. I hadn't seen either of them since before the accident, so all I had to go by was what they'd said earlier. "Calla sounded pretty worried, and internal bleeding is nothing to joke about."

"What about Calla? Kieran said her arm was messed up." Rio frowned.

"Actually, it was just my collarbone." We looked up to see Calla walking towards us, her right arm in a sling and a paper bag and slip of paper in her left.

"Calla!" I went to hug her, then stopped, not wanting to hurt her. She rolled her eyes and kissed me on the cheek before sitting down next to Jaden. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She insisted. "It was an incomplete fracture rather than a complete one, so I should heal faster. I just have to wear this thing," she gestured at the sling, "for a while and take some pills and antibiotics that I'm going to pick up later."

"Thank god." I sighed. Calla nodded, then placed the bag and paper down on the waiting room table. "Wait, they let you out already?"

"Um…" She hesitated, a guilty look on her face. "I checked out, if that's what you mean."

"You checked out AMA, didn't you?" I guessed. She ignored me and placed a hand on her brother's knee, squeezing it gently.

"What about Bree?" Her voice was unusual soft, laced with worry.

"We don't know yet." I admitted, beginning to pace again. Calla squeezed Jaden's knee again, speaking to him softly as we waited. Eventually, Kieran and Leo both came back inside, Calla spoke to her mother on the phone ("No Mom, you don't need to come down here. I'm fine and there's a lot people in the waiting room already. I'll call you later.") and the clock ticked by, oblivious to our worry.

"Family of Bree Davenport?" Finally, a doctor came out, dressed in blue scrubs. All of us jumped to our feet and he looked at us surprised.

"All of you?" He questioned.

"Family, boyfriend, and best friends." I corrected. He sighed, then decided that it didn't matter since we were the only ones in the waiting room.

"The trauma from the explosion Bree was in caused her spleen to rupture." He explained slowly. " She had already lost a large quantity of blood before she arrived and we were forced to perform a full splenectomy."

"And for those of us who failed science class?" Adam asked.

"We had to remove her spleen." The doctor explained. We all exchanged looks. "However, the surgery went just as planned. We've given her a blood transfusion, some fluids, antibiotics, and something for the pain, but she'll be fine after some rest."

"Thank God." Jaden sighed, speaking for the first time in hours.

"How long is my daughter going to be here for?" Mr. Davenport questioned.

"We're estimating three or four days, so we can be sure that there isn't an infection." The doctor replied. "However, I must caution that she is to take things easy afterwards. And because her lack of spleen will make her more susceptible to disease, there's going to be a list of vaccines that she's going to need to take. I'll give you that list as soon as we're done here."

"Thank you." Mr. Davenport smiled at her gratefully. "For everything."

"Just doing my job." The doctor replied.

"Can we see her?" I asked hopefully. The doctor smiled gently at me.

"She's currently being moved from recovery to a regular room, but I'll send someone to get you when she's settled." He assured us. "But no more than two visitors at a time, alright? She does need to relax."

"Of course." Jaden nodded. The doctor walked away with Mr. Davenport, likely to discuss the vaccines. Jaden let out a sigh of relief. "She's going to be okay."

"Thank God." I agreed, relieved.

** Bree's POV **

Three days after the surgery, and I still felt like crap. I mean, the pain wasn't that bad – thank God for morphine – but I felt sore all over and kind of tired too. There were too many needles in my arms from the IVs and an oxygen cannula stuck up my nose and I just wanted to get out of here already.

The others were nice, at least one of them always being here to keep me company during visitor's hours. Especially Jaden.

"…then Spin thought it would be a good idea to press that yellow flashing button on Calla's computer desk…" My boyfriend continued with his story, only stopping when there was a knock on the door.

"Hey." Calla smiled, leaning against the door. She was dressed in regular clothes instead of her Academy uniform, a coffee held in the hand that wasn't in a sling.

"Hey." I smiled back. I hadn't seen her since the first day, and even then it was only briefly. She glanced at her brother.

"Dude." She looked at him expectantly, but he didn't move. "Cafeteria, go."

"I'm fine, CeeCee." Jaden rolled his eyes.

"It's cute how you think that was a request." She replied, placing her coffee on the table and then pulling at his arm with her good hand. "Seriously, it's almost eight and you haven't had dinner. Go get something to eat."

"Calla-" He began, but stopped when he noticed both of us glaring at him. "Fine. Would you like anything?"

"Jell-O if they've got some." Calla replied sweetly, smirking at the annoyed look on her brother's face as he left. She took his seat, sipping at her coffee. "Idiot."

"Thank you." I smiled. "I've been trying to get him to eat all day."

"You'd think, for a chef, he'd be a little more aware of the good food does for you." Calla chuckled. "But nah, he's just worried about you."

"I'm fine." I insisted.

"You nearly died, Bree." She reminded me.

"I know." I sighed. I glanced at her. "How's the arm?"

"Achy." She admitted. "How's…everything for you?"

"Sore, but at least I'm getting out of here tomorrow." I replied. She nodded.

"I see you got the students' card." She mentioned, nodding at the giant get well card sitting against the far wall. It had been the twins' idea to have everyone sign it, and I had to admit, the messages did make me smile. "Did you see what Bob wrote?"

"Oh yes." I agreed, laughing a little despite the ache in my abdomen. "I can't believe he wrote me a love poem."

"His crush is getting out of hand." She agreed, laughing as well. I frowned at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, you're just…" I stared at her. "You're actually talking to me again."

"Yeah…" She rubbed the back of her head guiltily.

"Is it because I nearly died? Or because I saved your life?" I questioned. She shook her head.

"No. Well, I am grateful that you saved me and I'm pretty happy that you're not dead – seriously, if you'd died, Jaden would have been so cranky…" She trailed off, smirking. "I just realized how much I missed my best friend."

"Really?" I looked at her. She sighed.

"And I guess I was being a bit of a bitch before." She admitted. I raised an eyebrow.

"A bit?" I repeated. She looked at me.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, laughing. I laughed too, smiling. "But I guess you're right. Sorry."

"I kinda deserved it." I admitted. "Why don't we just agree to stay away from androids and call it even?"

"Deal." Calla agreed, laughing lightly.


	19. One of Us

** Kieran's POV **

"Morning Calla, morning Chase." I grinned as the mentors walked into the training area. It had been about a month since the mission to recover information from Giselle had ended in disaster, but thankfully, both Calla and Bree were doing better. Bree was back to light training (nothing heavy, as ordered by Mr. Davenport) and though Calla's arm was still in a sling, she was still leading classes, though using Chase, Leo, and I as demonstrators a lot more often.

"Morning guys." Calla smiled. "Alright, is everyone here?"

"Uh…" A few students hesitated. Living on an island made it a little easier to notice when someone was skipping class, especially if it was one of the more popular kids. But we stood by each other, through thick and thin. Even if it meant covering for Dooley's ass whenever he skipped.

"Who's missing?" Chase sighed, knowing what our silence meant.

"Kieran, Charles, Kate…" Calla frowned. "Wait, wasn't Leo supposed to be in our class today?"

"Yeah…" Chase pinched the bridge of his nose. "Kieran, do you know where he is?"

"Maybe he went to Adam's class by mistake?" I lied, having seen him leave the island about an hour ago. Calla looked at me.

"Right…" She clearly didn't believe me. "Alright, we'll just have to carry on without him."

"Today we'll be working on defensive moves…" Chase started the lesson. After explaining what we were going to do, we all split up into groups based on our colors. The greens were practicing basics, while us reds (so basically, just me, Eli, Vanessa, and Dean) focused on the complicated stuff. Chase helped us out, demonstrating a couple of the moves while Calla couched some of the younger students.

Class finally ended around lunch time, though not many people were heading down to the cafeteria. With Jaden helping a buddy of his move down in Mission Creek, we were all stuck with leftovers or whatever we could score from the mentors – occasionally, one of them would be nice enough to bring in a treat, like that time Adam brought in industrial-sized ice-cream tubs after a long day of training.

"Hey guys, wait up!" I called after Chase and Calla, following them into the main classroom where Bree and Douglas were chatting.

"Hey, have you guys seen Leo?" Chase asked as Adam and Rio walked into the room. Bree frowned and shook her head.

"No, why?" She asked curiously.

"He didn't show up for training. And he's got Kieran covering for him, so he must have skipped on purpose." Calla explained, sitting down at her desk.

"I'm not covering for him." I protested.

"Dude. Give it up." She told me. I rolled my eyes at that, still not betraying him.

"Why don't you just call him?" Douglas suggested.

"Too much work. Let's just kick him out of the academy." Adam joked. Rio laughed lightly, already using the computer to call Leo.

" _Hello."_  Leo greeted with a wide grin as the screen turned on. Behind him, we could see the Eddy's computer screen and some of Tasha's art hanging on the wall. He was back home, then.

"Leo, what are you doing back in Mission Creek?" Chase demanded, a little annoyed that he would skip his class. "You're supposed to be here for training."

"Sorry, I had to pop back and deal with a little situation. Janelle missed me." He smirked. "You ladies can be SO needy."

"She threatened to break up with you, didn't she?" Bree guessed.

"It was implied." Leo admitted.

"Dude, don't take this the wrong way, but you could do so much better." Calla mentioned. Leo opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by the doorbell ringing.

"AH! She's here!" He shouted, hanging up on us. I frowned.

"Well that was rude." I commented. Chase let out an annoyed huff.

"I can't believe him! Skipping training to hang out with a girl!" He exclaimed. Calla raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if a guy cares about his girl enough…" She began.

"It's irresponsible!" Chase argued. "You don't see me doing stuff like that."

"No." Calla agreed coolly, her eyes narrowed at him. "I don't."

"Uh…" Chase hesitated, knowing that he had just entered no man's land. Fortunately for him, the hydroloop tunnel opened, causing enough of a distraction.

A young woman stepped out, dressed in jeans, a grey shirt and a black jacket. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, the dark locks brushing against her back as she looked around nervously. She looked incredibly familiar, but I just couldn't figure out who she was.

"AH!" Douglas, on the other hand, clearly knew who she was. "It's her!"

Suddenly, Chase and Bree fell into a fighting position, many of the other students following out of habit. If they thought this girl was a threat, then we were to protect our own.

Meanwhile, Adam didn't seem to realize she was dangerous. "Hey, you look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" He asked.

"Adam, that's S-1!" Calla exclaimed, standing beside me. She was weaponless, but still looked as pissed as the others to see that girl there. Wait, S-1? She was a soldier/student like us? "She's Krane's lead soldier." Well, that answers that. "She tried to destroy us. Multiple times."

"Oh yeah." Adam nodded, then smirked at her. "What do you say we finish the job and get out of here?"

"Adam!" Rio exclaimed.

"I'm kidding!" He assured her, walking to stand beside her.

"I uh…" S-1 hesitated, unsure of what to say next.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Chase demanded.

"I figured since this is the Bionic Academy, you're the only people who might be able to help." She explained. "There's something wrong with me."

"Yeah. We already know that, Psycho Sally." Bree retorted.

"You tried to crush Leo, kill me, and take all of them out!" Calla agreed.

S-1 frowned in confusion. "I'm sorry…I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know who you are."

"Of course she doesn't." Douglas realized. "She's a blank slate."

"Just like the rest of us?" I asked, lowering my fists. Many of the students started to relax, though a number of them kept their guards up.

The mentors still looked very uneasy. "Why weren't you rounded up with the others?" Chase asked suspiciously.

"All I know is that I woke up in a field and this family found me and took me in." S-1 replied. "When they discovered I was bionic, they freaked out, so I ran away and I've been hiding ever since."

The mentors exchanged looks. "I don't believe her." Bree decided.

"Me either." Calla agreed.

"Well, why would she lie?" I asked. Douglas nodded.

"Without Krane controlling her mind with the Triton app, she has no reason to be evil." He agreed.

"That's what we thought about Sebastian too. And we all know what happened there!" Chase argued.

"We get it. He broke your heart. Let it go." Calla growled, annoyed. I nearly smirked. Her jealousy of Sebastian was kind of adorable.

"Who's Sebastian?" S-1 asked with a frown. Chase turned back on her. "Look, if you don't believe me, remove my chip. Then there's no way I can hurt you."

To prove her point, she moved her hair out of the way to make the chip extraction better. I looked at the others.

"Is this really necessary?" I questioned.

"Yes, Kieran, it is." Calla told me, watching as Douglas used the chip extractor on S-1. She winced as the chip was removed, but remained still otherwise.

"All clear." Douglas announced, getting everyone else to relax. "Although, you might want to get that mole checked out."

S-1 frowned, rubbing the back of her neck. Douglas put the chip extractor away, along with the chip, while the other mentors focused on S-1.

"Okay, now that we know you're telling the truth, what is wrong with you?" Chase questioned.

"I keep having flashbacks about a guy named Victor Krane." She explained.

"You're preaching to the choir, sister. Douglas chuckled.

"You're having flashbacks?" Calla frowned. "That doesn't make sense. When the Triton app deactivated, it should have erased all your memories."

"Calla's right. How can she still remember Krane?" Chase questioned.

"It must be a glitch." Douglas reasoned. "What else do you remember?"

"He said that if anything bad happened to him, something just as bad would happen to me." S-1 replied, sounding worried.

"He can't hurt you." I assured her gently.

"Yeah, don't worry about that. That was just the metal in his face talking." Douglas agreed.

"Look, every time I get a flashback, I get a terrible headache." S-1 continued. "I'm really scared, and I don't have anyone else to turn to. Please, help me figure out what's going on."

"Of course we'll help you." I assured her before looking at the others hopefully. "Right guys?"

"I suppose it is the right thing to do." Chase agreed, though he sounded a little peeved that I made the decision for them.

"Fine, but if he breaks your heart like Sebastian, don't come crying to me." Adam joked. Calla sighed loudly.

"I'll get some equipment." She offered. "Kieran, help me with that."

It wasn't a request. It was an order. I looked at S-1 and smiled at her. "I'll see you later." I assured her before running to catch up with Calla.

"K-Dog…" Calla sighed again, but the use of my nickname told me she wasn't really upset, just annoyed. "You can't make decisions like that without consulting me and the other mentors first."

"Why not?" I demanded, looking at her as we headed towards the storage area.

"Because even without her chip, she was Krane's right hand soldier, which makes her dangerous. Decisions like these need to be handled by the mentors." She shrugged. "When you're a mentor, you can make the decisions."

"But I'm never going to be a mentor!" I argued. Calla looked at me. "Besides, you guys were being biased."

"Is that so?" Calla looked at me. "How?"

"She tried to kill you while under the influence of the Triton app. It was in no way her fault, and you know that, but because those are the only memories you have of her, your subconscious is telling you that she's evil and can not be trusted. I don't have memories of her at all, so my decisions are based on pure instinct and the information I've been given by both sides." I reasoned. Calla stared at me for a moment, then shook her head with a smile.

"Alright. You could be right." She admitted, opening the storage door. "Just…discuss this with us, alright? We'll hear you out, but we can't have students, even as advanced as you, undermining our authority in front of the others. That's how rebellions start."

"Fair enough. But helping her is the right thing to do." I insisted. She gave me a worried look.

"I hope you're right."

** S-1's POV **

"I'm almost done with the tests." Calla announced. I was sitting in a black chair that the boy who'd stood up for me, Kieran, brought in, with electrodes attached to my head. Students, including Kieran were hanging around the other end of the room, training while the mentors, that's what they called the guys in white, dealt with me.

"How're you holding up?" Chase asked me. Adam answered before I could.

"Good, but I'm probably going to need a snack around two." He replied. Chase gave him a look.

"I'm fine for the moment." I told him, just as the computer he'd set up beeped. Calla got there first and examined the data.

"Douglas! Chase!" She called over her shoulder, looking surprised. "Check this out."

Both of them walked over and looked at the information. "It looks like the Triton App left a virus in their bionic infrastructure."

"You mean a virus where I have a bowl of chicken noodle soup and I'm all better?" I asked hopefully.

"More like a virus that'll cause you to explode and look like chicken soup." Chase chuckled.

"What?" I demanded, staring at him with wide eyes. He quickly corrected himself.

"But who knows? Chicken soup could work!" He lied.

"You know, when I showed Krane the Triton app, he did ask me to build in a Doomsday Virus, but I refused." Douglas told us.

"Thank you, Douglas." Bree said, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "That totally makes up for the other five hundred times you tried to take us out."

"Technically, it was five hundred and twenty-two." He replied with a chuckle. "You just didn't see me hidden in the shadows."

"Krane must have done it on his own." Chase decided. "And if he did it through the Triton app, that means…"

He looked at the other students, putting a hand to his temple. A second later he dropped it, a distraught look on his face. "The other students have it too!" He announced.

"It all makes sense." Douglas sighed. "Krane was an egomaniac. If he wasn't around to control his own creations, he wanted to make sure no one else could."

"According to this, anyone who had the Triton app will self-destruct in ten hours. That means everyone here is…"

"…a ticking time bomb." I realized, feeling sick to my stomach. Oh my god, I was going to explode like confetti.

"All the bionic students are going to die!" Bree shouted, shocked. Chase tried to hush her so they wouldn't hear, but it was too late. The damage was done.

"I'm sorry, but what?" Kieran demanded, looking at the mentors.

"I probably shouldn't have said that so loudly." Bree admitted.

"Nice knowing all of you!" Adam waved at the crowd. "You should start saying your goodbyes. I'm going to grab a tarp and a poncho."

"Adam wait." Calla stopped him before turning to Chase. "This affects anyone who had the Triton app?" She confirmed. He nodded. "Then what about…"

She broke off, but Chase's eyes widened, understanding what she meant. He looked at Adam and Bree, raising his hand to his temple. "Calla's right." He murmured, dropping his hand. "We also had the Triton app. So we're set to self-destruct too."

"Adam." Douglas looked at the tallest of the mentors. "I'll take a poncho."

** Kieran's POV **

"Hey." I walked up to S-1, who was sitting at Calla's computer desk. Most of the students were hanging around the classroom or the cafeteria, wanting to see if Chase, Calla, and Douglas could cure us. Rio had disappeared along with Adam, claiming that they were going to set a record for the most number of balloons blown up in a day or something, and Bree had gone to plan a party. Not that anyone would be coming, considering that she told all the guests (myself included) that we were dead to her.

Calla and Chase were trying to calm students down while Douglas was putting away the equipment.

"Hey." S-1 smiled thinly at me, tapping the computer's edge impatiently.

"Relax." I told her. "Chase and Calla are the smartest people I've ever met, and Douglas knows more about the Triton app than anyone. If anyone can figure this out, it's them."

"Right." She nodded, though she clearly didn't believe me. She looked around the room, trying to distract herself, before her gaze landed on the mug in my hands. "What's that?"

"Chamomile tea with ginger in it." I replied, offering it to her.

"Uh, thanks?" She replied before sniffing the tea suspiciously.

"I used to get flashbacks of Krane and some of the other students and I know how bad the migraines can get." I explained. "Jaden suggested chamomile or ginger because they're supposed to help get rid of them."

"And it works?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Well, not completely, but it does lessen some of the pain." I replied. She smiled appreciatively at me.

"Thanks." She took a sip of it. "So, you have memories of Krane?"

"A few." I shrugged. "Mostly he's yelling at me for not doing something right. But I have a lot of memories of my sister from before the Academy."

"How does that work, anyway?" S-1 inquired. "The whole sister thing. I thought we were all genetically created."

"We are." I assured her. "Before we came to the Academy, Mr. Davenport asked us all to do DNA tests to make sure that we were all genetically created and not some kidnapped children without memories."

"He doubted that you were genetically created?" S-1 interrupted. I nodded.

"Well, there are so many of us, and a few of us do appear to be from different cultures." I shrugged. "Anyway, while he did confirm that we were all genetically created, Krane must have used hundreds of different genetic thingies, because no one shares any genetic markers. Well, except Rio and I. I think he said that our DNA strands were something like 92% identical. So, we're twins and everyone else is non-related."

"So, you two are the only ones that are siblings. The rest of us are like, only children?" She asked. I chuckled.

"Yeah, though there has to be an easier way to say that." I earned a small laugh from her. "It's a good thing we're not related, in my opinion."

"Why is that?" She asked, curious. I sighed.

"Because Bob's been flirting with almost every student here. Bree too, though I'm pretty sure he's not flirting with Calla."

"Why not?" S-1 smirked.

"Because I told him I'd demote him back to yellow if he continued." Calla explained as she and Chase walked back into the room. S-1 got up to give Calla her chair and she sat down, immediately typing one-handed on the keyboard.

"You need some help?" I offered.

"Nope." She popped the 'p' and didn't look up as she typed. A couple of seconds later, a timer appeared on the big computer screen. "Alright, I scanned S-1's chip and mirrored the Doomsday Virus timer on the screen." She announced as the clock counted down, just below eight hours.

"Only eight hours left until you guys…" Douglas broke off, seeing the expressions on all of our faces, "…show the world what you're made of."

"Well, that's morbid." I commented, just as S-1 cried out in pain, dropping the mug in surprise. It clattered to the ground, not breaking but spilling the tea everywhere. "What's wrong?" I demanded, looking at her as she clutched her head.

"My head." She complained. "It hurts."

"I know; his joke's are awful." Chase nodded.

"No, it's another flashback." I snapped at him, remembering how this would happen to me.

"I'm starting to see Krane again." S-1 exclaimed. "It's dark, he's angry…"

"Run toward the light; it's your only hope!" Douglas shouted. Chase gave him a look, then looked at S-1.

"Is he saying anything about the Doomsday Virus?" He asked.

"No." S-1 sighed, dropping her hands as the migraine disappeared. "Somebody used the last of the battery acid and didn't replace it."

"Well, it wasn't me." Douglas lied.

"There has to be a way to access this virus and disable it!" Chase exclaimed, frustrated. He, Calla, and Douglas started arguing, so I led S-1 over to the nearest bench, giving her a chance to take a breather.

"Hey." Rio jogged up beside us, a frown on her face. "I just came down to check how things are going."

"Not good." I replied, nodding at the clock. She looked at it, biting her lip, then glanced at S-1.

"What about you? You okay?" She asked. S-1 nodded.

"Yeah, I think…why are Calla, Chase, and Douglas staring at me?" She frowned, looking at the three geniuses (well, two geniuses and a mad scientist).

"Guys?" I called, confused. Calla smiled brightly and I knew that they had a plan.

"S-1, we think you might be able to help us find the cure." She announced. We got up and headed over to them.

"Whatever is locked inside her head is the only thing that's going to save all of us." Chase murmured to me, looking determined.

Suddenly, the hydroloop doors opened and Leo stepped out, finally back from his trip to Mission Creek.

"You!" He exclaimed, eyes going wide when he saw S-1.

"Who are you?" S-1 demanded, copying the stances we all made earlier. Leo glared at her, a fireball appearing in his bionic hand.

"Maybe this will remind you!" He shouted, throwing the fireball before anyone could stop him. It hit S-1 dead on, throwing her across the room and into the stairs leading onto the landing.

"S-1!" My sister and I shouted, racing to her side. I glared at Leo. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I demanded.

"What do you mean?" He questioned, confused. "I just saved your butts."

"No, you didn't!" Chase retorted as I rolled S-1 onto her side, trying to see if she was alright. "You just dug our graves."

"What?" Leo stared at us, confused. Calla huffed in annoyance.

"Let's have us a little talk, shall we, Dooley?" She questioned, dragging him off into the corner to explain. Meanwhile, I tried to wake S-1 up.

"Rise and shine." I tried. "Wakey wakey, eggs and baky?"

Nothing. "Is she alright?" Chase asked gently, kneeling down next to us.

"It was a pretty hard hit to the head." I murmured. "But her pulse is fine and her breathing is normal, so she's just out cold."

"No clue when she's going to wake up though." Rio murmured. She looked at Chase. "I think Mr. Davenport's got some smelling salts in the infirmary. Maybe those will work?"

"No, we're out. Been so for a long while." Chase sighed. "Calla and I are supposed to do a re-stock on medical supplies this weekend."

"Damn it." She muttered. Chase sighed.

"Rio, would you go update Adam and Bree on the situation? And maybe could you distract some of the younger students?" He looked around the room. "It's getting a little crowded in here, and we'll need room to work."

"Okay." Rio nodded. "I'm sure Adam could use some more help for his balloon blowing challenge anyway."

She got up and fled the room as Calla and Leo walked back to us. "So I leave for one afternoon and now everyone has hours to live? Why didn't you call me?" He demanded.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Chase snarked. "We've been a little busy trying to find ways not to blow up!"

"I'm sorry, but that's simply not good enough." Leo replied. Calla smacked him upside the head, annoyed.

"Leo, how could you attack her?" She demanded.

"Look, with everyone around here flip-flopping between good and evil, it's hard to keep track." He retorted before gesturing at Douglas. "I have to stop myself from taking him out five times a day as it is!"

"Guys, focus!" Chase exclaimed. "We have to find a way to revive S-1 before every bionic person here explodes."

Leo pulled Calla and Douglas away from us then. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but it didn't look to pleasant, judging by the looks on their faces. When they all bumped fists, I realized they made some sort of deal, probably having something to do with the fact that within a few more hours, they would be the only living people left on the island.

I didn't have time to focus on that much, seeing as S-1's brown eyes were beginning to open. I smirked. "Morning, Sleepy-head."

I helped her sit up, just as Chase sighed in relief. "She's waking up!" He announced. Leo shouted in surprise, throwing another fireball at her. Just like last time, this one knocked her out again. I managed to catch her a bit this time, stopping her head from hitting the floor. Everyone stared at Leo, who suddenly realized his mistake.

"Did you say she's waking up, or she has a knife? Because I'm just saying that those two sound very similar."

** S-1's POV **

I opened my eyes slowly, confused. Why did my head hurt so much? Did I have another flashback?

Suddenly, Kieran's face was above me, those hazel orbs of his filled with concern and worry. "Hey." He smiled, meeting my gaze. I smiled back.

"Hey." I replied. Suddenly, two sets of hands were helping me up, while Douglas restrained the boy who attacked me.

"You alright?" Kieran asked me. I nodded, then looked at the boy who'd attacked me, Leo. He had a guilty look on his face.

"Sorry I took you out." He apologized. "Twice."

"Yeah, well, at least you didn't use your bionics full strength." Any one of us would have normally been a hundred times stronger that that, so he must have pulled his punches, so to speak.

"Yeah. That's right. I always dial it back for the ladies." He replied with a non-convincing smirk. Was he lying?

I didn't have much time to think about that before Chase was leading me over to a chair. "We think we found a way to stimulate your memories by acting out some scenes from your past with Krane."

I sighed, not really expecting this to work, but sat down anyway. "We're hoping that when he gave you the Doomsday Virus, he told you how to deactivate it." Calla explained to me.

"So, we're going to re-enact that moment." Douglas continued. "I'm going to play Krane, and Chase will play you."

"Hold on." Chase stopped him. "Why do you get to be Krane?"

"Because I knew him better than anybody. Plus, I can do a spot on impression. I used to kill at our dinner parties." Douglas replied. I chuckled just at the thought of them two of them having dinner parties. "And then he'd threaten to kill me."

"Well, I'm definitely not going to play S-1!" Chase argued. "No offense." He added, looking at me.

"Why not?" Douglas questioned. "Too much of a stretch for you to reach that level of macho. No offense." He added in my direction.

"Oh, for God's sake!" Calla exclaimed, frustrated. "I'll be S-1!"

"Thank you!" Chase sighed, stepping back. Leo smirked at him.

"I think Douglas is right Chase; you'd make a great S-1." He told the smarter boy. "Do you want to borrow Bree's boots? You can stuff some paper in them so they'll fit."

"Can we just do this?!" Chase snapped, shutting Leo up.

"You're on an operating table in Krane's lab." Douglas said, setting the scene. He clapped his hands and Calla hopped up onto the nearest computer desk, using her good hand to manoeuvre herself into a comfortable position. "It's dark. You're terrified. The mad man approaches."

Douglas ducked down, pulling something out of his pocket. When he stood up straight again, he had a piece of tinfoil on his face, mirroring the way Krane's wires used to go.

"I'm Victor Krane, and I want to take over the world." He chuckled, his voice dropping an octave. "I also promised Douglas that I'd take him on a vacation to the Florida Keys. Never happened!"

He looked at Calla and gestured for her to go. She sat up with a sigh, looking like she really didn't want to do this. "Oh no, Mr. Krane! Please, don't give me, S-1, that bad, bad virus!"

Well, she certainly wasn't an actress. "I don't suppose this is helping you remember anything?" Leo questioned, grimacing at their bad acting.

"No, but it is making me hope that when I do blow up, I wake these two out with me." I replied. Both actors stared at me, offended. "No offense."

** Calla's POV **

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap! Come on, this can not be happening. Two minutes left on the countdown and we had nothing. Nothing at all.

All the students were staring at the countdown worriedly, many on the verge of panic. Spin and Bob were pacing around the room, both looking anxious. Rio was nowhere to be seen, presumably off to be with Adam. Kieran and S-1 were sitting on the bench together, talking quietly with worried looks on their faces. In any other circumstances, I would be glad that they'd become friends, but right now all I could focus on was the fact that everyone in this room was going to be dead in less than a few minutes.

"Role playing didn't work." Chase was completely freaking out. "Decrypting the virus didn't work! I'm out of options!"

"I can't…I don't know what to do." I looked at Douglas, hoping,  _praying_ , that the mad scientist would have any ideas. But if he did, he wasn't offering any.

"Guys, any progress?" Adam demanded, jogging up to us. Rio and Bree were right behind him.

"Oh great. More mess to clean up!" Douglas exclaimed, frustrated.

"We're really going to die?" Rio asked in a small voice, realizing what Douglas meant by that. She was looking at me and I couldn't give her an answer. Adam took her hand reassuringly, holding her close to him.

"This is useless!" I exclaimed, tears of frustrated slightly blurring my vision. Oh my god, they were really going to die. I was going to lose Chase. And Adam and Bree. And Kieran and Rio. Everyone.

"There's no fix." Chase growled, angry.

"What do you mean there's no fix?" Adam demanded. "I'm not having Krane's virus take me out; I'd rather have one of you guys do it."

"Adam, that's ridiculous." I snapped, but Chase's face lit up like it was Christmas.

"No, he's right." Chase realized. Douglas sighed.

"Okay. If you say so." He grabbed a hammer out of the desk drawer (why a hammer was in there in the first place was beyond me) and started towards Chase. I grabbed him by the arm to stop him.

"That wasn't what he meant." I snapped. I looked at Chase. "Tell me that wasn't what you meant."

"Of course not." He assured me, putting a comforting hand on my arm. He then looked at the others. "I know what to do. A virus needs a carrier, and without the carrier, the virus dies."

"So, what are you saying?" S-1 asked as she and Kieran approached us.

"We need to trick the virus into thinking we're dead." Chase explained. Adam gasped.

"Good idea. We'll be ghosts!" He grinned before looking at Rio. "Babe, go get the sheets. I'll cut out the eye holes."

"I'm sorry, but how do you plan on doing this?" I asked, confused.

"If we give ourselves our own Doomsday Virus, it'll shut down our bionic infrastructures." He explained.

"Great plan Chase." Bree nodded. "Except you forgot one little thing: we'll be dead!"

"Only temporarily." He replied quickly. "We can control our own virus. As long as Douglas starts uninstalling it right after it takes affect, none of us will actually die."

"So our lives depend on this guy?" S-1 questioned, looking at Douglas skeptically. "And we're all okay with that?"

Douglas shook his head. "I'm not. Your plan's too risky, Chase. We're not doing it!"

"We only have two minutes left!" Chase shouted, angry. "What else are we going to do?"

"Anything else!" Douglas argued. Then he snapped his fingers, getting another idea. "I have a firewall program on my old laptop. If the codes match, it could block the virus. I'll be right back."

He ran off, but this didn't deter Chase in the slightest. He looked at me. "We don't have time to wait. I need you to do it."

"I…no." I stared at him, shaking my head. "No."

"Calla-" He began, but I cut him off.

"There's got to be another way." I pleaded with him.

"Maybe there is, but we're out of time." He told me. "I need you to program and uninstall the program."

"I can't." I told him.

"Yes you can." He replied.

"I'm not as good a programmer as you, Chase! Creating and uninstalling a doomsday virus capable of killing you temporarily…I can't do that."

"I believe in you." He assured me, cupping my cheek. I glared at him, upset.

"Right now, I kind wish you didn't." I muttered. "Look, I can't program the virus. I can't kill you."

"Cal-" I shook my head, interrupting him again.

"I won't." I stood firm behind my decision. I couldn't do this. I couldn't make myself do that.

"Fine." He nodded. "Then I'll do it myself."

"Chase, please. Reconsider." I looked at him, but he shook his head.

"We're going to die either way. Better to be by our own will than by Krane's." He replied before addressing the group. "Attention everyone! I'm about to wirelessly install a lethal virus into your chips, but I'm doing it to save you. And, if for some reason it doesn't work, you can all forget about last night's homework."

"Chase, what are you doing? I told you that I wasn't-"

"You said you weren't going to kill us. But you are going to save us." He replied with a smirk.

"You expect me to save you?" I demanded.

"You're as capable of saving people as we are." He gave me a peck on the cheek before smirking. "Good luck."

"Damn you." I muttered.

"Relax, I'll tell you how to uninstall it as soon as I send it to all our chips." He assured me.

"You think I don't know how to do it myself?" I questioned. He shook his head.

"If I'm the one building the code, I'll know the fastest way to uninstall it, just like you know more about your own codes and programs than I do." He replied.

"Fine." I muttered before glancing over my shoulder. "Dooley, you're helping me."

"Alright, but we only have thirty seconds left!" He exclaimed. "Hurry!"

"Right!" He raced over to the nearest computer and began pressing buttons as fast as he could. After a few seconds he nodded. "Alright, the virus is installed. Guys," he turned to us, "all you have to do is-"

And he, along with everyone else in the room, dropped to the floor dead. Well, technically dead. "No, no, no, no." This was a bad idea. I knew it was a bad idea. Why did I let him do this?

Leo started to panic a little as I looked at the computer. Chase was right; this would take me a little bit of time to figure out how to uninstall it, more time than it would have taken him. Damn it!

I was just beginning to press buttons when Douglas ran back into the room, carrying a laptop. He looked around the room, staring at the dead bodies before looking at Leo and I. "What did you do?" He demanded.

"It wasn't us! It was Chase!" Leo retorted. "Calla told him not to use the virus, but he did anyway. He is trouble that one, trouble!"

Douglas ran over to the computer table, helping me type.

"Krane's virus has been deactivated, so now we just have to uninstall Chase's." I informed him, not looking up. He began to press buttons, typing the parts of the code that I couldn't reach with my good hand.

"Your boyfriend is an idiot." He mentioned while we worked. I chuckled darkly.

"I'm not about to disagree with you about that one, Dougie." I replied. Douglas let out a sigh.

"Move. You're too slow." He ordered, pushing me away so he could finish it. Normally, I would have argued, but with my arm in a sling, he really was faster at this alone.

"Done!" He announced a second later. But nothing happened. No one stirred like they should have. No one even breathed.

"Why isn't anyone waking up?" I demanded, eyes trained on Chase's face for any sign of life.

"I don't know." Douglas replied, confused.

"What do you mean, you don't know? They can't go much longer without oxygen!" Leo snapped.

"It's not my virus!" Douglas argued. "I'm doing my best!"

"Well, your best isn't good enough." I growled, angry. Suddenly, Leo sighed.

"Great job, professor." He said sarcastically, gesturing at the computer table. "Chase's virus is still active because you forgot to hit enter."

"Oh." Douglas hummed in surprised. "Well, I probably didn't hit it because-"

"HIT! IT!" Leo and I shouted at the same time. Douglas slammed his hand on the button, and we looked at the group. Nothing. Nothing. Then…

Chase sat up with a strangled gasp, desperate for air. The rest of the school followed, one by one coming back to life, the sounds of coughing and heavy breathing filling the air.

"Oh, thank god!" I cried in relief, holding my good hand out to Chase. He took it appreciatively, still trying to catch his breath.

"We're alive" S-1 beamed.

"And no one blew up." Bree agreed. Suddenly, there was a loud popping sound coming from the training area.

"I think you spoke too soon." I looked at Bree, then we all raced in the direction of the sound. Instead of finding a poor, dead student, we found…balloons? There must have been hundreds of balloons in there, Adam standing in the middle, popping some with his hands.

"What the…" I stared in confusion.

"We were trying to break a world record." Rio explained. Kieran stared at her sister.

"With balloons?" He questioned. She shrugged and smiled.

"Adam, what are you doing?" Bree demanded. He laughed to himself.

"Trying to make you think students are popping." He chuckled. We all looked at him. "Don't just stand there; help me pop!"

"Why not?" Bree shrugged before grabbing a balloon and popping one. Everyone else followed her lead, the sounds of laughter mixed in with the popping. Something as random and amusing as this was actually a pretty good way to distract everyone from the fact that they technically just died, so bravo to Adam.

"Hey, hey, hey! Listen up!" Chase stopped everyone. "I know we're all having fun celebrating being alive and stuff, but your homework is due tomorrow."

"Only you could make being brought back to life a buzz kill." Bree accused lightly before batting another balloon at Adam.

** S-1's POV **

After all the balloons were popped, we all hung around the main classroom. Adam, Bree, Calla, Chase, Douglas, Leo, and Rio were at the main computer, while Kieran and I sat by the window. I had to admit, from here, the view was gorgeous.

"Is it always like this here?" I asked Kieran, looking at him curiously.

"What? Nearly dying then having a balloon popping party?" He questioned. I nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. Chase still makes us do homework though."

"What was the homework, anyway?" I inquired. He shrugged.

"No idea. No one ever does his." He chuckled. I laughed, then looked over at the group. Douglas held up a tarp and said something to the group before he and Calla began to walk away.

"Hey, what's going on?" Kieran called.

"Well, Adam finally got us a tarp to protect us from the exploding bionic people." Calla explained. "And since it got here too late, we're just going to go find something else to blow up."

"Cool. Can we come?" Kieran's eyes lit up. Douglas shrugged.

"Sure." He replied. I shook my head.

"I'll catch up with you." I told him before walking up to the rest of the group. "So, we're good now, right?" I asked. Chase nodded.

"I'm happy to say that we're all virus-free!" He announced to the entire room. All of the students cheered happily, but Adam didn't look too happy.

"Yeah, speak for yourself. I caught something nasty." He complained. "That's the last time I buy used balloons."

"Yeah, no it's not." Bree reminded him. Adam nodded, realizing she was probably right. Rio patted his arm.

"Come on; let's see if Jaden's got some chicken noodle soup in the kitchen." She suggested, pulling him along.

"I'm going to go call Jaden, let him know what happened." Bree told us. Chase looked at me.

"Hey, you're good here on your own, right? I want to make sure Calla and Douglas don't blow up anything important, but I can give you a tour of the academy or something, if you want." He suggested, knowing that the only other person here I really knew was Leo. But I shook my head anyway.

"No, go on. Keep them out of trouble." I replied. "I'll get Kieran to give me a tour later."

"Alright." He nodded and disappeared, leaving me along with Leo, who was cleaning up some of the mess on the computer table. I looked at him and smiled.

"So." I got his attention. "Does this mean we can finally put our past behind us?"

"I guess." Leo agreed, much to my relief. "But just in case you decide to get all evil again, I'm rocking a bionic leg now."

To prove his point, he put his leg up on the table. Despite the metal clang it made, I still couldn't take him seriously.

"I'm sorry." I laughed. "I want to be intimidated by you, but I just can't."

He gave me a look. "Look, let's just make a fresh start, and see where it goes from there."

"Deal." I agreed with a smile. I really wanted to make this, all of this, work out. "I'm just glad I'm not getting those flashbacks anymore."

Suddenly, Adam ran up behind us. "Hey, guys, look!" He grinned, holding up two green balloons. "I found two more."

He held them up to his nose and somehow blew them up by breathing through it." I stared at him, then laughed in wonder. This place was crazy.

"Hang around here long enough and you'll have plenty of other horrifying memories to replace them with." Leo mentioned. I grinned. This might actually be pretty cool.


	20. Bob Zombie

** Jaden's POV **

"It's really weird." I commented, following Bree out of the kitchen. Calla and Chase were waiting for us at the end of the cafeteria, discussing some invention.

"What's weird?" My sister inquired, having caught the last part of the conversation.

"I think someone broke into the kitchen and took the stuff for tonight's dinner." I replied. Chase frowned.

"Who would do that?" He asked, confused.

"No idea." I replied. Suddenly, something occurred to me. I looked at both geniuses, confused. "Hey, what are you doing here, anyway?"

"Uh, rude much." Calla responded, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Jaden. If you wanted us to leave, you could have said so nicely." Chase retorted. Bree rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what I was talking about.

"Don't you both have the day off or something?" She reminded them.

"Yeah, so?" Chase frowned.

"So leave, have fun, get out of here!" Bree insisted.

"I thought you guys would have gone back to Mission Creek for the day or something." I agreed.

"No way." Chase shook his head.

"Since I finally got rid of that stupid sling, I wanted to go swimming and stuff, and the water around the island is warm and nice. Plus, free food."

"Uh guys?" Leo's head poked out from the main classroom before I could argue. "You should see this."

We all exchanged looks, but followed him into the classroom. It only took one glance to see what Leo wanted us to check out. Adam and a bunch of his friends surrounded a tinfoil wrapped Bob, all of them grinning.

"Uh, Bob?" Bree asked hesitantly, looking at the younger boy. "Why are you wrapped in tinfoil?"

"It's not just tinfoil." He replied brightly. "I'm also wearing three layers of past, tomato sauce, and cheese."

"Well, that explains the missing ingredients." Jaden muttered, looking at Adam for a real explanation.

"I turned him into a human lasagne pan." Adam announced. "Forty-five minutes in the sun and it's Bob appetite."

Oh, awesome. What a perfectly good reason to waste the ingredients for tonight's dinner. Now I was going to have to think of something else, or let everyone starve. Meh, they could eat grilled cheese.

"You know," Leo mused, looking at us, "given what I've seen in Bob's training, this might be the most productive use of him yet."

Meanwhile, Adam taste tested his masterpiece. "Don't move." He ordered after a short thought. "You need more oregano."

He ran off, in the direction of the cafeteria. "Hey stay out of my kitch-" I stopped myself. "You're not going to listen anyway, so why bother?"

"Mmm, lasagne." Perry hummed walking in. She looked at Bob. "Got any garlic bread?"

"You betcha." Bob grinned. "They're stuck to my shins."

"I'll be back. Save me the greasiest piece." Perry instructed before heading towards the hydroloop.

"Hey, where are you going?" Calla called.

"And how long can you stay there?" Leo added, smirking.

"Your cheap father forgot to pay the trash bill." Perry replied. "I am so sick of working for a guy who won't let me throw trash in the ocean!"

She blew her nose then, both loud and messy, and tossed the dirty tissue on the ground as she climbed onto the hydroloop. Douglas walked in just as the doors slid closed.

"Guys, check it out." He announced, drawing our attention. "This is going to change our bionic academy forever. I've found a way to replicate Chase's bionic intelligence."

"What?" Chase looked at him skeptically.

"Yeah. Remember how Giselle Vickers wanted to give your intelligence to all of her androids?" Douglas asked. We nodded and he showed us a device similar to Calla's plasma gun, but with a round flat end instead of a pointed one. "Well, this intelligence duplicator will wirelessly do this to everyone's chip."

"Wait, so you want to make me like him?" Bree questioned, gesturing at Chase. Douglas nodded, grinning. "Pass."

She started to walk away, but I stopped her, pulling her into my arms. "Don't worry, none of you will be affected. Calla and Jaden are human, your chips are older models, and Leo doesn't have one."

"Not even Bree's?" I asked, surprised. "Didn't she get a new one just over a year ago?"

"Yeah, but it's still too old for me to do the programming on." Douglas replied.

"Thank God." Bree muttered, relieved.

"Anyway, with the intelligence-duplicator, all the students will be just as smart as you." Douglas told Chase. "I just have to find someone to test it on."

"And you really think that someone's just going to let you randomly experiment on them?" Chase inquired, raising an eyebrow. Adam chose that moment to come back in.

"Bob, bad news." He announced. "It's getting cloudy, so I'm going to have to cook you in here with my heat vision."

"Will it hurt?" Bob asked.

"Let's find out together." Adam decided.

"Okay." The younger boy grinned and stepped back, giving Adam the room to shoot him with his heat vision. The mentor did just that, spreading the heat vision out along Bob's chest so that the lasagne cooked evenly. "Ooh, something's cooking."

"Bob it is." Douglas decided, nodding to himself.

"Adam, stop it." Calla interrupted, walking towards him. "You're going to ruin his uniform."

"I think the ingredients did that." Rio pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Yeah." Bob agreed as Kieran helped him peel off the tinfoil. Underneath, his Academy uniform was stained red from the sauce, with bits of cheese and pasta covering it.

"Dude, go change." I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Bob hesitated.

"I don't have any clean uniforms." He admitted. Calla stared at him.

"Laundry day was yesterday, Bob!" She protested. "And you have three different uniforms. How could they all have been ruined?"

"Well, this one's…you know. And then the second one is still kinda soaked from yesterday's water balloon fight." He began.

"What water balloon fight?" Chase asked, confused.

"The one we didn't tell you about because we knew you'd tell us to stop?" Bob replied hesitantly. "And the third one is covered in peanut butter."

"Why…" Calla began.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Bob informed her. She nodded.

"Gonna take your word for it." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Uh, Adam could dry your uniform with his hurricane breath blowing…whatever we decided to call that ability. And I can get your other two uniforms dry cleaned tomorrow."

"Why not today?" Kieran frowned.

"Because today is my day off and I'm enjoying it." She retorted, glaring at anyone who would suggest otherwise.

"Why don't Kieran and I take the uniforms into Mission Creek to get dry-cleaned?" Rio suggested. "That way we can replace what Adam took out of the kitchen, get Bob's clothing cleaned, and maybe go see that new Maze Runner movie?"

"You really want to see that movie, don't you?" Calla laughed lightly. The twins had found Calla's old Maze Runner trilogy books in her room a week ago and had been obsessed with the series ever since. Kieran had already read them through twice and Rio'd fallen in love with the movie.

"Please?" Kieran begged. Calla sighed.

"Sure, why not?" She handed them a car from her purse. "Give this to the lady at the dry cleaning place and tell her that it's on Donald Davenport's account."

"Got it." Rio nodded, already walking towards the student's dorms to get the uniforms. I sighed and looked at Kieran.

"Alright, here's what I need you to get…"

** Adam's POV **

"Hey Adam." I slowed down as Calla approached me, a pool bag in one hand.

"Hey, you and Chase going down to the water?" I asked, curious. She nodded.

"What is the point of living on an island if you can't go surfing or swimming on your days off?" She replied with a smirk.

"Have fun." I told her as we walked into the mentors' quarters. Douglas, Chase, and Bob were huddled around the main computer.

"Alright Bob," I announced. "Now that we've made body lasagne, we should do something important. What do you think; CPR training, volunteer work…Oh, I got it. We should figure out how many students we can cram into the pool."

Bob looked at me like I was stupid, something I was used to Chase doing, but certainly not Bob. "Easy. All you have to do is divide the average mass of the students by the pool's volumetric capacity."

I stared at him, then glared at Chase and Douglas. "What'd you do to my Bob?!"

"Thanks to my intelligence upgrade, Bob is now as brilliant as Chase." Douglas explained. Bob nodded, smiling.

"Yep. I'm finally the whole package." He told me.

"Isn't it great?" Chase was beaming. "I finally have an intellectual peer."

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Calla demanded, offended.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Calla." Chase rolled his eyes at her before continued. "Bob and I have just been bonding for hours about the stock market, physics, and ancient philosophy."

"Although we did have that little tiff about Socrates." Bob added. "Good times."

"Bob, you're scaring me." I told the younger boy honestly. He never acted like this, ever. It was like he was a completely different person. "I demand you burp the entire alphabet right now."

"Can you believe it? Douglas' intelligence duplicator actually worked." Chase grinned.

"Actually?" Douglas repeated.

"Well you don't have the best track record." Chase replied.

"I made you, didn't I?" Douglas retorted. Meanwhile, I was looking over Bob, trying to see if there was a switch or something that would turn him back to normal. Instead, I found a piece of lasagne stuck to the back of his neck.

"Yum." I grinned, eating the piece.

"You also made him." Chase pointed out to Douglas.

"Fair point." Douglas agreed.

"So, now that you've had fun with Bob, can we go swimming now?" Calla turned to Chase, smiling brightly. But that smile faded when Chase hesitated to answer. "You promised."

"I know, but it's the first time I've ever really had someone whose intelligence matches my own." Chase replied. "No one else has ever even come close."

"Excuse me?" Calla crossed her arms, eyes narrowed at him.

"I'm not saying that you're not smart, because you are. You're brilliant. But you're also…" Chase stopped himself. "It's just that Bob's intelligence is far beyond that of a normal human's and I want to take advantage of that."

"So I'm inferior to both of you because I'm human?" Calla asked. Chase shook his head.

"No, that's not…maybe I didn't explain that the way I should have." He told her apologetically. "I only meant-"

"No, I know what you meant." Calla stopped him. "And it's fine."

"It's fine?" Chase questioned skeptically. She nodded, her smile too sweet to be anything but fake.

"Oh, totally. You spend your day off how you want, with your new best buddy. I'm going to spend mine the way I want, on the observation deck and in the ocean." She spun on her heel, heading for the door. "C'mon Adam!"

Surprised, I followed her. "Wait, I'm coming swimming with you now?" I asked.

"You got a problem with that?" Calla asked sharply. I didn't say anything, but she quickly continued, softening her gaze a little. "Sorry, but a day off's not really that fun with no one to spend it with. And you like swimming and surfing, right?"

"Duh, who doesn't?" I replied.

"So, you want to go swimming or not?" She looked at me. "If you don't want to, or if you already had plans, you can say no. I won't be offended or anything. I'll just grab Spin or something and teach him how to surf."

"I was supposed to hang out with Bob, but clearly that's not going to happen." I mentioned. "And Rio's off to see some movie with Kieran, so I'm not busy."

"Awesome." Calla grinned brightly. I was kinda surprised that she didn't want to hang out with Bob and Chase. But then again, she was also the only super genius I knew who didn't only want to discuss math and physics and sciency stuff all the time, so I shouldn't have been that surprised that she just wanted to have some fun on her day off.

** Jaden's POV **

"So, since we're all done with classes for the day, you wanna do something?" Bree asked, leaning on the computer table. "We could go interrupt Calla and Chase's date."

"Or, we could leave the island like the twins did and go see a movie." I suggested.

"Sounds fun, but we should probably grab lunch." She mentioned. Suddenly, the doors to the hydroloop opened and Perry stepped out, carrying a large yellow and green flag with a bull in the center.

She placed the flag down in the center of the room before making trumpet noises with her mouth to get everyone's attention. Leo walked over to us, looking at Perry in confusion.

"What's going on?" He asked, but we could only shrug in response.

"Welcome to the United Republic of Perryland." She announced.

"I know I'm going to regret this, but what's Perryland?" Leo asked reluctantly.

"And why does the flag have a cow on it?" Bree added.

"That's an ox! Know your meats!" Perry snapped before continuing. "When I went to pay the garbage bill, they told me that you'd never registered the island as a country, so I seized the opportunity." She pulled out a large scroll. "As of today, you're all second-class citizens of Perryland. This is the official charter. Read it and weep."

We looked over the scroll. "You expect us to believe that's real?" I asked skeptically.

"Oh, it's real." Perry assured us. "Just as my muscle."

She blew a whistle and five military men marched into the room. We all stared at them, both surprised and kinda scared.

"This is bad." Leo murmured. "This is very, very bad."

"Who are they?" Bree demanded.

"And how did we not realize they were on the island?" I added, mostly to myself. Seriously, did no one see five grown men in military dress walking around the school? How did we miss them?

"They're on loan from a tyrant friend of mine." Perry replied cheerfully. "And speak of tyrants, guess who the dictator of Perryland is."

We looked at the charter, and scoffed when we saw the name. "Your cat, Mr. Whiskers?"

"Don't be ridiculous. He's vice-dictator and he answers to me." Perry retorted. "Now, join me in singing the Perryland national anthem."

The military guys saluted her as she began singing a very strange song to the tune of the Canadian national anthem. I didn't catch all of it, but some of its highlights included "your sweat and tears will bring me cheer" and "from dusk to dawn, oh Perryland, I stand on top of you".

"When did you have time to write that?" Leo demanded, staring at her. She merely shrugged.

** Adam's POV **

"Dude, you totally wiped out!" Calla laughed as we walked back into the Academy.

"Hey, I did that on purpose." I retorted. She chuckled.

"I'm sure." She rolled her eyes as we turned into the cafeteria. Bob and Chase sat at one of the tables, playing chess. But it wasn't one of the normal chess games. It was one of the weird ones with the timer.

"Bob, you're still hanging out with Chase?" I demanded, looking at them. "No one should have to suffer that long."

Chase ignored me as he moved his king. He hit the buzzer then stood up and shook Bob's hand. "Great game, another draw." He mentioned. "Wanna go triple check your homework?"

"I already did, but one can never be too right." Bob replied.

"You know, if you wanted a different opponent to play chess against, I'll play." Calla offered. Chase shook his head.

"Nah, after playing someone with Bob's skill at the game, it would just be too easy to win. No offense." He added, seeing the look on his face. Calla looked at him. "Don't give me that look – we both know that you're better at card games than chess."

"That is besides the point." Calla retorted, slightly offended. Though, it was true – she sucked at chess, but I didn't know anyone who could beat her at Blackjack. "You are walking on very thin ice, honey."

"Understood." Chase nodded. "But I'm still going to hang out with Bob."

"You'd rather hang out with him than me?" Calla questioned. "On our day off, which we planned to spend together?"

"Don't take it personally, babe." Chase went to put his hand on her arm, but she shrugged him off.

"I can't believe it. I've been replaced." Calla sighed, then frowned as if something bewildered her. "I've been replaced by Bob of all people."

"Calla…" Chase began, but she shook her head, cutting him off.

"You know what? Whatever." She looked at me. "So, you wanna do anything?"

I thought about it. "You want to go find a couple of jellyfish and wear them as wigs?" I asked hopefully.

"Scratch that. Going to find someone else to bother." She announced before going over to the kids at the other end of the cafeteria.

"See, this is the kind of stuff I do with Bob!" I exclaimed before turning to my best friend. "C'mon man, that has to be more fun than hanging around with Chase all day."

"I'm sorry, old friend, but we just don't have much in common any more." Bob told him sincerely. He walked out on me then, not even glancing behind him as he went.

"I can't believe this." I looked at Chase, angry and a little hurt. Not that I would admit to the latter. "You stole my best friend."

"I did not steal him, we just…" Chase broke off, actually thinking about it. "Okay, you're right; I stole him."

"You know what? Fine. I don't need you guys. I've still got Calla and the bionic bros, right guys?" I turned around to see my other friends – Zach, Andy, Mason, and Aaron – sitting at a table, reading these massive books.

"Tell me those are picture books." I begged Calla, who was watching them in surprise. She looked at me.

"No, that's Dickens." She informed me.

"Guys, quit reading!" I shouted, knocking the books out of Mason and Andy's hands. "I told you it bas bad for you!"

"Douglas!" Calla called suddenly. I looked away to see him walking into the room. "They're reading. They don't read. Why are they reading?"

"My intelligence upgrade worked so well on Bob, I decided to give it to all the other students." He explained, chuckling to himself.

"What?" I stared at him, wide-eyed. "First you steal my Bob, then you take my Andy, Aaron, Mason, and my Zach?"

"Who wants to discover a new element for the periodic table?" Chase shouted. They all raised their hands, cheering as they followed him out. I glanced at Calla, surprised that she hadn't followed them.

"You know, I thought a smarter school would be cooler, but this…" She frowned. "This is just boring."

"Don't worry guys, I'll be your friend." Douglas offered. I scoffed while Calla bit back a laugh.

"We're not that desperate." I replied, leaving the room.

"Where are we going?" Calla asked.

"No idea." I replied. She gave me a smile.

"Hey, there is some good news." She offered.

"Like what?" I asked sullenly.

"The twins are still off the island, which means Douglas hasn't made them super geniuses yet." She mentioned.

"So Rio's not too smart for me yet?" I asked hopefully, smiling.

"Well, no one can be too smart to be with someone else." Calla told me. "But yeah, she's still normal. So we just have to keep Douglas away from them, and we'll have some guys to hang out with."

"That's something." I agreed. I was glad that Rio wouldn't abandon me like everyone else had, but I was still hurt that Bob had in the first place.

** Jaden's POV **

Okay, Perry was definitely taking things too far now. It was one thing to have guards all over the school. It was another to come into the mentor's quarters, redesign everything, and turn it into her throne room. Seriously, everything in here was now animal print, and she'd turned Chase's capsule into a throne, while Adam and Bree's capsules had been filled with cat toys and such.

"You can not just come in here and take over our home!" Bree screamed, furious when she saw what Perry had done.

"Of course I can." Perry retorted. "In Perryland, Perry does whatever Perry wants."

"Okay look, you may own the island now, but they still need to sleep in their capsules." I attempted a calmer approach, knowing that Bree was a little too angry to.

"Fine. Because your dear leader is a compassionate goddess," She said, referring to herself, "you may recharge your robot batteries right before bedtime. And FYI, I changed the lock on the door, so you're going to have to buy key cards from me. They're 20$ each."

"What?" "That's insane." "You're insane." We retorted.

"Fine, they're forty bucks." She replied, smirking to herself. "Now get out of here. I have work to do."

She clapped her hands and military guys started pushing wheelbarrows of sand into the room. "What is that?" Leo asked, confused.

"Sand, to fill the pool with. Vice Dictator Mr. Whiskers is helicoptering in tomorrow and he demanded a much bigger little box."

"That's disgusting." Bree wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Don't worry; you can still swim in it." Perry laughed at her own joke.

"C'mon guys." I grabbed Bree and Leo by the arm and pulled them out of the room before pulling out my phone.

"What are you doing?" Leo questioned. I didn't answer him, instead listening to the voicemail message.

" _You've reached Kieran Daniels at 555-1017. I can't get to my phone right now, but you know what to do when you hear the beep."_

"Kieran, it's Jaden. Listen, I know you guys are probably still in the movie theatre, but I need you to do me a favour. Perry got control of the island through some legal crap, and I need you to pick up the deed and the legal papers so we can try and find a loophole, alright? And hurry –Perryland is scary."

** Adam's POV **

"This is pathetic." Calla muttered, and I couldn't help but agree with her. Currently, Bob was telling everybody how it was so 'astonishingly magnificent' it was to have such a high intelligence level.

"I can't even fathom what we were like before the intelligence upgrade." He was saying. "I mean, how obtuse was I? I was so beyond obtuse, I was…Bob-tuse."

All of his friends (and my former ones) laughed at his pathetic pun.

I groaned, trying to pretend everyone wasn't this bad. Eventually though, Douglas walked in.

"I can not live in a world with this many Chases!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm desperately.

"Seriously, if I have this many people to compete with for Chase's attention, I'm going to have to start eliminating the competition, capiche?" Calla demanded. Douglas looked at us, distraught.

"I have bigger problems!" He argued. "I just found out that Perry now owns the island and has installed herself as dictator."

"That explains why her face is on all of the toilet seats." I realized.

"I thought someone was just trying to make a clever joke." Calla shrugged.

"The first law that 'dear leader' Perry passed says that I must serve as her personal servant and massage therapist."

"Well it's about time someone put you to work." I replied, smirking. "What do you do here again?"

"Look, Jaden said that he sent the twins to go get some legal papers to see if we can fix this, but I'm not waiting around for them to get back." He told us as he climbed into the hydroloop tunnel.

"Okay, but Douglas before you go, can you please just maybe…" But the hydroloop tunnel doors were already closing.

"Oh, the frivolities of your consistent blunders." Bob sighed, amused. I bit my lip, an idea coming to mind. I glanced at Calla.

"I have an idea how to fix this." I mentioned. "But I'm only going to do it on one condition."

"What?" Calla looked at me suspiciously.

"No matter how badly this ends up – and since I'm the one with idea, we both know something's going to go wrong – you have to take my side against Chase. No teaming up on me. Deal?" I looked at her. It was a blatant lie and we both knew it. I was going to do this with or without her consent, but it would be nice to have someone on my side against Chase for once.

"Deal. Hell, I'll tell him it was my idea, so long as you fix this." She told me. I grinned and grabbed the intelligence duplicator off the table.

"Alright guys. If Douglas won't fix you, I will." I reversed the device by flipping a switch, then pointed it at them. I pressed a button and a beam of blue light washed over them, hopefully changing their intelligence levels back to normal.

"That should do it." I announced when the light disappeared.

"Do you think it worked?" Calla asked. I shrugged, then looked at Bob.

"Quick Bob! Spell your name backwards." I instructed. Bob opened his mouth, but instead of words, an animalistic 'bah' sound came out.

"Uh-oh." I looked at Calla, then at the other students. "Guys, what's wrong with Bob?"

They made the same noise, much to my concern. Crap, what did I do to them?

"Guys?" Calla and I both turned to see Chase standing by the hydroloop, looking at the students. "What's going on?"

"I was trying to dial everyone's intelligence levels down and back to normal…" Chase gave me a judgemental look. "Hey, Calla said I could do it."

"She did?" Chase frowned and looked at her. "You did?"

"To be completely honest, if he hadn't done it, I was going to." She admitted. Chase looked at her.

"Why would you…we'll talk about this later." He sighed. "Adam, you must have dialled it back too far. You've downgraded their intelligences to the level of barn animals."

"Well, for Bob that's still an upgrade." Calla defended me.

"They're all brainless zombies!" Chase exclaimed.

"Great. That'll make Halloween a hell of a lot more interesting this year." She retorted. Chase looked at her. "Look, we'll just dial it back."

"Where's the intelligence duplicator?" Chase questioned.

"Over…shit." Calla swore suddenly. We followed her gaze and saw Bob chewing on the intelligence duplicator, having destroyed all the wiring in a manner of minutes.

"No, no, no!" Chase pulled it away from him, but the gadget was beyond repair.

"Hey, in my defence, normal Bob probably would have done that too." I told him. Chase looked at me, annoyed.

"Now that Bob's destroyed the intelligence duplicator, we have no way to turn them back to normal." Chase complained.

"That's no problem." I offered. "We'll just get rid of these students and have Douglas whip us up a new batch."

"Adam!" Chase snapped.

"Calm down." I rolled my eyes. "It's not like they're a danger to anyone."

"Yes, they are." Calla muttered. I frowned and looked at her. "I know I said I'd be on your side, and I still am, but right now, they are a danger to themselves."

Almost as if to prove her point, one of the students, Jordan, tripped over a chair and fell flat on his face.

"What are we going to do?" Chase demanded. "If we can't find a way to bring them back, every one of our students will be completely useless."

"Except for Kieran and Rio." Calla offered. Chase looked at her. "C'mon, Chase. If we can only have two students still functioning, be glad that it's them. They are our best students."

"We're still going to be in a lot of trouble when Mr. Davenport finds out." Chase growled.

"Worse than that," I gestured at the computer table where Bob was currently gnawing on the edge. "We might be on the hook for some very expensive dental work."

** Jaden's POV **

"C'mon. Let's just get your tablet and go." I said to Leo. He'd left his tablet in the mentors' quarters earlier and wanted to retrieve it, even if it meant walking into Perry's throne room.

"We'll be quick." Bree promised me, following Leo into the room. Any hopes I had of Perry not seeing us disappeared in a second.

"Hey Perryland peasants." Perry called. "Check out this thing I found in the weapon's room."

She pulled back her sleeve to reveal my sister's prototype laser-shooting glove that she'd been working on. "That's Calla's laser glove!" I protested, knowing that she wouldn't want Perry touching it. Or anyone, for that matter. "What are you doing with that?"

"Levelling the playing field." Perry replied as if it were obvious. "You never know when you machine-people are going to turn on us fleshies."

Suddenly, I heard sheep sounds coming from behind us. Bewildered, we all turned to see if Adam had somehow gotten himself a pet sheep. I wouldn't put it past him.

But instead of a large fluffy farm animal, we saw multiple students stumbling around aimlessly, making animal noises with their mouths. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I don't know." Leo admitted, sounding confused.

"It's a rebellion!" Perry announced as they got closer. "They're trying to take me out so they can take over Perryland. But the only way that's going to happen is over dear leader's dead body."

No one really had a problem with that. "Well, you had a good run." Leo mentioned, smirking a little to himself.

"Back off. I've got a battle to fight." Perry started fiddling with the buttons. I grabbed her by the arm, stopping her.

"You can't attack them!" I exclaimed.

"Why not?" Perry demanded.

"They're innocent." Bree told her.

"I'm not going to hurt them. I'm just going to give them a gentle warning." Perry assured her. "A fifteen-thousand volt warning."

Bree, Leo, and I ran forward, pushing students down and out of the way. They hardly reacted, toppling over without any struggle whatsoever. I had no idea what was wrong with them, but it was clearly something serious.

** Adam's POV **

"C'mon!" I snapped, frustrated when the device refused to be fixed. I slammed the pieces together angrily. "Get back together."

"Wow, I can't believe that didn't work." Chase rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Well I don't see you doing anything." I retorted.

"This is all your fault!" Chase snapped. "We wouldn't even be in this mess if you hadn't touched the device!"

"We get it." Calla said, trying to stop the argument.

"Hey, you don't have any proof of that. The only person who knows whether I did it or not was me because I was the one who did it." I snapped. "And I wouldn't have touched it in the first place if you hadn't stolen my best friend!"

"Seriously guys, can we quit it? We need to figure this out." Calla insisted, looking at us in annoyance.

"Well excuse me for finally having a person around here I can relate to!" Chase shouted.

"Hey!" Calla jumped out of her seat. She gave him a hurt look. "Again, I ask if I'm chopped liver to you."

"That is not what I meant." Chase told her. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Then what did you mean?" She questioned. He sighed.

"I meant that it was just nice to have someone other than my girlfriend that I can connect with. I love you, Calla, I do, but I need guy friends that are as smart as you and me. I'm sorry if you're hurt by that, and I'm sorry I spent our day off without you. I promised you we'd spend the day together, and I should have kept that promise, but I need to hang with other dudes sometimes."

"Alright." Calla sighed, sitting back down.

"Really?" He asked, looking at her skeptically. She nodded.

"You still shouldn't have stolen Bob from Adam, but I should have understood why hanging out with Bob was important to you." She muttered. Before she could say anything more, the hydroloop tunnel doors slid open. Rio, Kieran, and Douglas stepped out. They all stopped upon seeing the other students.

"What the…?" Kieran frowned, confused.

"Guys." Douglas looked at us pointedly. "Why does it sound like a bionic barnyard in here?"

"Adam and Calla used your intelligence duplicator and turned all of our students into mindless zombies." Chase explained. Kieran looked at us.

"Early Halloween prank?" He guessed.

"No, but that would be cool." Calla mused.

"It is kinda funny, right?" Adam chuckled nervously.

"Oh, and Bob ate the device." Calla added. "So we can't change them back to normal."

"See, this is why I always have to make two of everything around here!" Douglas growled, pulling a second intelligence duplicator out of his pocket.

"See? Problem solved." Calla grinned.

"Guys!" Leo ran into the room, quickly followed by Jaden. "Sound the alarm. Perry's on a rampage."

On queue, Perry bolted in, a weird white glove thing on her hand. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to shoot you with a laser."

She blasted a laser at us with the glove. We managed to jumped out of the way, but the laser blast hit the intelligence duplicator out of Douglas' hand. The blast, combined with the harsh impact the intelligence duplicator suffered when it hit the ground, broke the device into a million pieces.

"Oh, come on!" Douglas complained.

"Any chance you made three of everything?" I asked hopefully. Douglas shook his head and pushed past me, approaching Perry.

"What is going on? Why are you shooting at everyone?" He demanded.

"These students are trying to oust me for power." Perry complained.

"No, they're not." Douglas retorted.

"They're not?" Perry frowned.

"No." Douglas replied.

"Oh, okay." With that, she lowered the laser glove. Bree and Jaden stared at her.

"We have been telling you that for an hour. Why do you stop when he tells you?" Bree demanded.

"Because he's the future king." Perry replied with a smile before walking away. Douglas sighed and walked back to the computer consol.

"So much for an easy fix." He muttered, referring to the broken duplicator. "Now I have to build a new one from scratch."

He walked away, heading towards the supplies room down the hall. Chase sighed. "Well, so long as they don't activate their bionics, there's only so much damage they can do."

Two minutes later, one of the green levelled students – Will – activated his bionics and smashed the computer consol, damaging some of the controls for the lights and the sliding doors.

"They're going to destroy everything." Bree exclaimed.

"What do we do with them?" Leo questioned. I grinned, remembering a conversation from earlier.

"I have an idea…"

** Xxx **

"Wow." Kieran stared at the group of students standing inside the sand-filled swimming pool. Why it was filled with sand was beyond me, but it seemed to work, so I wasn't complaining.

"Good idea, Adam." Chase nodded at me respectfully. "I can't believe they're not smart enough to find their way out of the pool."

"Hey, we can finally figure out how many people we can cram in there." I chuckled, amused. "Everybody count off!"

Calla laughed at that, especially when students started making louder animal noises. "Hold on, hold on. I think one of you said five twice!" She joked.

"Hey, whatever happened to the military goon squad?" Leo asked Perry, frowning. She shrugged.

"When they found out they weren't getting paid, they threatened to quit. So I had to fire on them." She replied.

"You mean fire them." Bree corrected. Perry shook her head.

"Nope." She replied. Douglas walked back into the room, holding a brand new intelligence duplicator.

"Alright, this better work." He announced uncertainly. "Otherwise, I'll have to get rid of these kids and whip up a whole new batch."

"That's what I said!" I exclaimed, glad that someone agreed with me on that. Douglas pointed the intelligence duplicator at the students and pressed the button. A blue light washed over the students for a second and they silenced themselves.

After a brief moment, the light disappeared. "Bob," Chase approached the younger boy, "Name an element of the periodic table."

Bob stared at him for a long time. "Lasagne." He eventually answered, much to my pleasure.

"That's my Bob." I grinned, very, very happy to have him back to normal. "Welcome back, buddy."

I pulled him into a hug, not wanting to let him go in case Chase or Douglas tried to make him smart again. I did let go though, but only after Perry had begun to speak.

"I'll be inside, preparing for my royal bathing." She told Douglas before looking at Jaden and Bree. "Good news; you two get to scrape my heels."

She walked away after that, heading inside. "What do we do?" Bree asked, concerned.

"Same thing I did in detention; grab a bucket and a cheese grater and let your mind drift somewhere else." Leo advised.

"Oh, here are the legal papers you asked for Jaden." Rio pulled a few documents out of her bag. I smiled at her.

"Thanks." I replied. Noticing the confusion from some of the others, I elaborated. "I sent Rio and Kieran to get information on the island so we could maybe find a loophole.

However, after thirty minutes of looking, we found nothing. "I can't find anything that will remove her from power." Douglas grumbled.

"Well then, I'm afraid we have no choice." Chase sighed. "We'll have to relocate the Academy."

"Well, there is one possible legal solution. If Perry were married, her spouse would own half the island too."

"Yeah, but we all know that's there's no person in their right mind who's going to marry her." Douglas laughed. We all looked at him and his laughter slowly died as he realized what we were thinking.

** Jaden's POV **

"What if this doesn't work?" Kieran whispered worriedly, fidgeting in his seat. We'd rearranged the cafeteria so that there were flowers everywhere, an alter for Douglas and Perry to marry at, and seats for everyone at the academy. We all sat on one side, the chairs on Perry's side mostly empty.

Douglas stood up at the front, dressed in a black tux, with Leo at his side as his best man. Shocking, considering less than two years ago, they'd been enemies. Bob stood far behind them at a digital piano, the kind that would play pre-recorded music if you pressed the right button.

"Relax, everything's going to be fine." I assured Kieran, thinking of the conversation Bree and I had had right before Perry dragged her and my sister in the back so they could be her bridesmaids.

"I can't believe this is happening." Douglas' voice was uncharacteristically serious and miserable.

"I can't believe Perry only has one guest." Leo added. I glanced over my shoulder at the punching dummy, dressed in a tuxedo, that Perry had invited as her guest.

"Where did he get that robe?" Rio whispered suddenly. I looked up to see Adam walk into the room, dressed in a black robe. I shrugged in response to Rio's question, having gotten used to Adam's ability to find random things at the most random of times.

"Alright. I signed up online." He announced. "I'm officially allowed to marry you and Perry."

"You almost look official." Leo complimented. "Nice touch with the robe."

"Oh, no. This was just because I was chilly." Adam explained, removing the robe to reveal shorts and a muscle shirt. "Alright, let's do this. Hit it Bob!"

Bob hit a button and weird, up-beat music started playing. We all looked at him and he quickly hit another button. The right music started playing, giving everyone the queue to start.

Chase appeared in the doorway, wearing a grey jacket over a dress shirt. He held a basket of flower petals in his hands, a very, very annoyed look on his face.

"Ten bucks says this was Calla's idea." Kieran joked. "You know, as revenge for him ditching her for Bob."

Almost all of the girls went 'aww' as he walked down the aisle, tossing flower petals over his shoulder. When he was done, he tossed the basket onto the floor and sat down next to me.

"You make a very cute flower girl, Chase." I commented, earning myself a very heated glare. But he didn't have the chance to retort, as Perry was already walking down the aisle.

Even in under the wedding train that the Bree and Calla were holding off the ground (it was an old one Bree found online for 60% off), she'd insisted on wearing pants underneath. Not that anyone was complain. After all, who'd want to see her in a dress?

She stopped briefly to say something to the punching dummy, then continued walking all the way up to Douglas.

"Where'd they get those bridesmaid dresses in such a short time?" Chase wondered. I nodded in agreement. I expected them to maybe grab a skirt or something from their closets (not that either girl was big on skirts) but they'd some how managed to come up with matching white dresses.

"Never underestimate the power of online shopping." Rio whispered jokingly.

Perry stopped in front of Douglas then, smiling under her white veil. "Aren't you going to lift my veil?"

"Actually, I was hoping there was a second one I could cover it with." Douglas gulped nervously before lifting the veil.

"I've been dreaming of this since I was a little girl." Perry admitted, beaming. "This is exactly how I pictured it."

"On an island filled with bionic superhumans?" Bree questioned.

"You don't know what I dream! You weren't there!" Perry snapped, walking to stand across from Douglas.

"Here ye, here ye!" Adam called for everyone's attention. "We are gathered here to join Theresa Cherry Perry and Douglas Orville Davenport in marriage."

"Orville?" Leo repeated, smirking.

"Given everything that's happening right now, do you really think that that is going to embarrass me?" Douglas retorted.

"If anyone here sees a reason why these two should not be married, please raise your hand." Adam continued. Everyone in the room, except for Adam and Perry, raised their hands. But because he knew that the wedding had to happen, Adam played dumb. "Nothing? Nobody? No one here objects. Good. By the power invested in me by some random sight on the internet, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the-"

"Queue the music." Douglas interrupted. Bob hit the button and they began walking down the aisle.

"Hold on!" Leo stopped them, grabbing a sheet from Bree. "There's still one minor formality to make this…beautiful arrangement official. You have to sign the marriage license."

"Of course." Perry grabbed the pen and signed her name on the line. "Congratulations. You're now Douglas Orville Perry."

"We did it!" Leo exclaimed happily, making Douglas smile for the first time since the wedding was suggested.

"Ah ha!" He grinned before looking at Perry's bewildered face. "As your husband, I now own half the island!"

"You may think you own half of what's mine, but in Perryland, the lady takes it all." She smirked. "Read the charter."

"What?" Douglas stared at her, horrified. She smiled.

"Come on, Dougy-Poo. It's honeymoon time." She started to pull him away.

"My evil past had finally caught up to me." He whimpered.

"Hold on there, Bridezilla." I stopped Perry, getting to my feet. I smiled at Bree, knowing that the back-up plan had worked.

"Joke's on you." Bree smirked. "I switched documents."

"What are you talking about?" Perry demanded.

"Oh, this isn't a marriage license. You just signed a contract that gives total ownership of the island back to us." My girlfriend replied.

"What? Give me that!" Perry tried to pull it out of Bree's hands, but she sped away to keep the document safe.

"Wait, so they're not actually married?" Bob realized. "Well if those two can't make it, what chance do any of us have?"

Calla opened her mouth to say something, presumably to reassure him, but Perry didn't give her the chance.

"You may have taken my island and my man from me, but you will never take my laser fist!" She pulled out the laser glove and began shooting at people. Luckily, the students were all in their right minds this time around and managed to hide behind barriers or walls. "And this is still exactly how I pictured it!"

** Adam's POV **

A couple of hours later, after we'd managed to get the laser glove from Perry and we'd officially gotten control of the island back, Bob and I were hanging around in the main classroom, trying to think of a way to spend the rest of the day. Bree and Jaden were off, who-knows-where, the twins hanging with some of their friends, and Leo was on the phone with Janelle again. Apparently, the whole long-distance thing was pissing her off.

"Well." Douglas suddenly announced, as Calla and Chase walked in, holding hands. I guessed that they'd gotten over their little fight from earlier. "Now that the zombie apocalypse is over, I can finally use the intelligence duplicator to make all the students smart again."

"It's about time." Chase agreed. Calla sighed, hardly looking excited about the idea, but didn't argue with it.

"Whoa, whoa. Did you ever think maybe Bob doesn't want to be super intelligent?" I asked, stopping them. Bob started to respond, but I cut him off. "Nobody cares, Bob. Look, just because you can change someone, doesn't mean you should. I mean, Bob might not be as smart as everyone, but he's Bob. And that's why I love him."

"Aw." Calla cooed, smirking a little.

"And Chase, you're Chase, and that's why…" I stopped myself. "Well, I'll stop there."

"That may be the smartest thing he's ever said." Douglas commented, looking at Calla and Chase. "Did you hit him with the intelligence duplicator?"

"Nah, I think Rio's just rubbing off on him." Calla replied.

"You know, Adam's right. We should destroy it." Wow, that was the second time today that Chase had admitted that I was right. Huh, maybe Calla was rubbing off on him. "Where'd it go?"

We looked around, trying to find the intelligence duplicator. Our gazes eventually landed on Bob, who was chewing it happily. "Told you normal Bob would do that too."

And finally, everything was back to normal. Or, as normal as things get around here.


	21. Human Eddy

** Leo's POV **

"Morning." I greeted everyone as he walked into the cafeteria. It was once again a Saturday, one of our favourite days of the week. No classes, so everyone could just do what they want, get up as late as they want, go to bed as late as they want. The only downside was that Big D was back on the island for once, so we couldn't get away with some of the stuff we usually get into, like sneaking off the island to have a little fun, or, in Chase's case, sneaking off to Calla's bedroom instead of sleeping in his own room. Seriously, if Big D knew that Chase only actually slept in his capsule two or three times a week, he'd go ballistic.

"Morning." Calla replied, handing me a bowl of fruit before digging into her own bowl with a scowl. I glanced at the fruit, a little disappointed. Jaden hadn't restocked the kitchen this weekend, so there hadn't been many options for breakfast this morning – either cereal, a bowl of fruit, or toast. Which I normally would have been fine with, except Bob had evilly decided to finish off the last of the Frosted Flakes.

"Jaden take the day off?" Chase guessed, sitting down.

"No, we're just out of food." Jaden explained, walking in from the kitchen. He grabbed a bowl of Cheerios for himself and sat down between me and Bree. "I'm going to go do a food run later."

"You might want to hurry. You know how crabby Calla can be when you run out of her favourite cereal." Chase joked. She glared half-heartedly at him, snatched the plate of toast out his hands.

"Just because of that, I'm keeping this." She growled. He chuckled good-naturedly and let her have the plate of toast, in exchange for her fruit bowl.

"What's up Meat-bots?" Perry called before sitting down at a table and pulling out a magazine. Mr. Davenport walked in seconds later, having obviously followed Perry in here.

"Excuse me?" He demanded loudly, startling Perry so badly that she dropped her magazine. "What do you think you're doing? This is the fourth time this week I've caught you blowing off your security rounds."

"And that's saying something, considering he's only been here two days this week." I smirked.

"What do you expect?" Perry demanded, ignoring me. "This job is too hard for one person. How am I supposed to patrol the grounds, monitor cyber security, and still find time to steal from you?"

"Look, you asked me for this job!" Mr. Davenport snapped. "If you can't handle it, then maybe I should find somebody else."

"Good luck finding somebody else who wants a high paying job on a tropical island." Perry retorted. Mr. Davenport just looked at us and we shrugged. I stood up.

"Sir, I wanted to speak with you about one of my inventions." Calla began. He nodded.

"Alright, which one?" He inquired.

"My intelligent security system. The program I've been working on?" She reminded him. "I was hoping you would let me upload it into the Academy's servers."

"You're finally done?" He checked. "All the errors worked out and everything?"

"Well, it's still in the trial phases, but I've looked it over three times now. It should work without a malfunction, and if there are any problems, I won't be able to find them until I see the program in action."

He nodded thoughtfully, and was about answer when the monitor on the far wall switched from the morning news to a very fuzzy screen, full of black and white dots.

"Hey, what's going on with the monitor?" Chase questioned, standing up.

"Somebody probably hacked our signal because the sheriff wasn't doing her job." Mr. Davenport retorted before looking at me. "Calla-"

"Trace the signal, find out who it is, then boot them out. I know." The girl replied, getting up. She hadn't gone far, though, when the screen went white and an all too familiar image appeared on the screen.

"Hi!" Eddy greeted in that annoying tone of his. We all screamed in horror when we saw him, having gotten used to him not being around. Many of the students turned around to look at us, confused by our sudden screams. "I've been trying to get in here for months! I had to go through all sorts of firewalls and security blocks. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't want me here."

"We don't want you here!" I shouted the obvious.

"Well, look who finally got a big boy voice!" Eddy cooed. "Still waiting for the rest of your little boy body to catch up, huh?"

"Eddy, you're supposed to be in Mission Creek with Tasha." Mr. Davenport reminded him. Eddy rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry; she's fine. I triple-locked her in the closer. Even her man-paws can't claw through that." He replied. "Speaking of man-paws, how are you, Bree?"

"That's it!" The speedster exclaimed, furious. "Where's the hammer?"

Jaden grabbed her by her shoulders, restraining her. "You break that monitor and he'll just go to a different one." He reminded her.

"I don't know about a hammer," Eddy offered unhelpfully, "but I'm definitely looking at a room full of tools."

No one found him amusing but Perry. Dang it, they were totally going to get along. "Uh, sir? My project?" Calla asked uncertainly.

"The answer is yes, but only after I figure out what to do with Eddy, alright?" He looked at her and she nodded in agreement.

"Alright, well, Calla and I have a class to r-" Chase broke off as his cell phone started ringing. "One sec."

He read the caller ID, then looked at Calla sheepishly. "It's the President."

"I'll take the class then, and just get some of the red levelled students to help me out." I shrugged. "Tell him I said hi."

Chase nodded and answered the phone. "Mr. President, what a surprise!"

"I wonder what that's about." I hummed curiously before my own phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, not bothering to check the Caller ID.

" _Hey Leo."_  It was Janelle.  _"I thought you were coming over this weekend?"_

"I uh…" I glanced at the calendar on the wall. Big D had gotten annoyed with me for my constant trips to Mission Creek, stating that my mom would kill him if she knew I could just sneak out of the Academy whenever I wanted. So we'd agreed that I would stay on the island and not sneak off without telling him, but that I'd be allowed to do whatever I wanted on weekends.

"I can't come over every weekend, Janelle." I told her, standing up. "I'm falling behind some of the other students and I heard Calla talking to Big D about moving me up another level and I really want to try and achieve that."

" _But Leo-"_  She complained.  _"You never spend any time with me anymore."_

"I'm with you every weekend and I Skype every night." I reminded her. "It's not my fault if you don't answer all the time."

" _Well, I've got things going on in my life too!"_  She protested.  _"Tutoring with Jake, shopping, dance class…"_

"I know, and I understand." I assured her, though I wasn't exactly thrilled about the tutoring thing. Jake, a football player just a year younger than I, and Janelle had gone out before I had met her, and even though she assured me that she no longer had feelings for him, it still made me a little uncomfortable. "But you need to understand that I've got things going on too. I need to work hard if I'm going to be a mentor someday."

" _Spin's probably going to become a mentor before you, Leo."_  Janelle mentioned.

"Hey, that is not fair!" I protested.

" _Well, he did get promoted before you."_  She pointed out.

"Yeah, but he's only a green right now. I'm an orange, which is a whole level higher than him." I argued.

" _I suppose."_  I could tell that she didn't particularly care.  _"But Leo, I would really like to see you this weekend. I wanted to talk to you about something."_

I frowned. "Can't we talk about it over the phone?"

" _I'd rather if we didn't."_  She told me. I sighed.

"Look, I've got classes this morning, but I'll see what I can do later, alright?" I didn't wait for her answer and simply hung up on her.

I wondered what she wanted to talk about. I had a fair idea what it was, though I hoped I was wrong. Things had been pretty rocky for us since I came to the island, and I felt that half the time, I was the only one trying to make this relationship work.

** Chase's POV **

I was practically buzzing with excitement, unable to sit still for a moment. I had not expected to receive a call like that from the President, nor had I expected to hear what he had to tell me. My god, this was amazing. I couldn't wait to tell the others. This was incredible.

"Hey guys!" I called as Calla, Jaden, Bree, Adam, and Leo walked into the room. "Great news!"

"You scored a goal in your junior soccer league?" "You finally fit into men's pants?" "You're going bald?" Adam, Bree, and Leo guessed, while Jaden and Calla smirked in the background.

"Why would that be great news?" I demanded, addressing Leo.

"You already act like a boring old man; you might as well look the part." He replied, still smiling. I gave him a look and he backed off.

"So, what's so great?" Calla asked, plopping down in the arm chair. Leo sat on the arm of the chair while Bree, Jaden, and Adam took the couch.

"The President wants me to be on his environmental taskforce committee." I announced proudly. "It's a think-tank of the world's smartest minds brought together to address major ecological issues."

"Sounds like something a boring old man would say." Leo teased. Calla hit him in the arm.

"Quiet you." She hissed. I grinned.

"This is the biggest thing that's ever happened to me!" I exclaimed. "Committee member today, President tomorrow."

"And revolution the day after." Bree added.

"What about your responsibilities here?" Jaden questioned. "I mean, how are you supposed to be both a mentor and a committee member?"

"Yeah. Without you, who's going to bore all the students to death?" Adam joked.

"I already told Chase I would cover all his classes." Mr. Davenport assured us.

"Problem solved." Bree smirked.

"The President is coming here to interview me and give me his official stamp of approval, then it's off to Washington, DC for good." I announced.

"You're going to DC?" Calla stared at me. There was a strange look in her eyes that I couldn't decipher.

"…Yeah." I replied, unsure of what to make of that look. "If all goes well, I should be leaving sometime tomorrow."

She nodded quietly, not saying anything else. Leo got to his feet and put his hand on my shoulder. "Congratulations. We'll really miss you." He turned to Adam and Bree. "I call dibs on his capsule!"

"Washington, DC." Adam stood up, staring at Mr. Davenport and I. "That's like another country. This isn't fair. Why does Chase get to leave and we don't?"

"Well, for starters, because Chase knows that Washington, DC isn't a country." I mentioned.

"Dude, what has my sister said about talking in the third person?" Jaden joked. I rolled my eyes. "But all jokes aside, congrats."

"Thanks, Jaden." I grinned. I looked at Calla, who hadn't moved from my seat. Who hadn't said much, actually. "Baby? What do you think?"

She must have been thinking about something, because she started when she heard me call her. "Huh?"

"I asked what you thought about all of this?" I looked at her nervously. This was such a big deal, and her opinion meant so much to me. I mean, DC was pretty far away, and we'd have to figure out how to make a long distance relationship work for us, but this was one of the biggest, most important things to have ever happened to me.

"I…" She stood up, smiling brightly. "I am so…so proud of you. This is amazing Chase."

"So, you think I should take the job?" I confirmed. She nodded, frowning at me with a bemused expression on her face.

"Of course. Why wouldn't you? It's the opportunity of a lifetime." She told me.

"God, I love you." I murmured, pulling her in for a kiss. To my surprise, she cut the kiss of early, after only a few seconds. "Calla?"

"I'm sorry, but I promised Spin I'd help him with his hand-to-hand fighting moves, and if I don't leave now, I'm going to be late, and then he'll never let me hear the end of it." She told me. I nodded.

"Yeah, of course. Go." I encouraged her. She gave me a peck on the cheek before walking out.

** Leo's POV **

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked, sitting down next to Calla. Most of us were hanging in the main classroom, just chilling. Jaden and Chase were talking about something, Bree was hanging with a few of the students, Adam was trying to figure out that string game thing with Perry, and Calla was off by herself, her laptop in her lap.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" Calla questioned, not looking up from her laptop. I frowned.

"Because you're quiet, and you're never quiet, even when you're working." It was true. Usually, Calla was either listening to music while she worked, or she was on the phone with someone, or she was talking to herself, making calculations verbally instead of in her head.

"I'm fine." She insisted, not looking up. "Go away."

"Make me." I challenged, expecting her to make some sassy retort, or kick me in the leg in an effort to get me to leave her alone. But she didn't react, aside from biting her lip in annoyance.

"Perry!" Big D walked into the room. "I need to talk to you for a second."

"Sure thing, boss-man!" Perry replied, saluting him.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Big D told her. "I thought about what you said about being over-worked, and I may have been a little harsh."

"So you're giving me a raise?" Perry asked hopefully. Big D laughed.

"I said I was sorry, not crazy." He replied. "But what I'm going to give you is better than a raise. Say hello to your new partner."

A man walked out from the training area, grinning. He had short to medium length hair, along with a very large beard that covered most of his face. "Him?" Perry stared.

"Does this guy even know anything about bionics?" Chase questioned, getting in on the conversation. Big D smirked.

"Actually, he knows a lot more about bionics than you might think." He looked at the guy. "Isn't that right?"

"That's right!" Eddy's voice came out of the man's mouth, making us all jump back in shock.

"Eddy?" Calla demanded, eyes wide in horror. By this point, almost everyone was staring at him, even the students. Eddy nodded, smiling brightly.

"That's the little guy in the wall?" Perry asked, eyes shining.

"In the flesh. Check me out." He began dancing horribly all around the room.

"Why would you give a body to the vilest computer program ever created?" Chase demanded.

"So that there would be room on the servers for Calla's MISS program." Big D replied. Adam frowned and looked at her.

"MISS?" He repeated. She shrugged.

"My Intelligent Security System." She explained. "I would have gone with something like Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, but Marvel stole that one out from under me."

"And you guys don't have to worry. Human Eddy isn't mean." Big D assured us. "When I put his artificial intelligence into the synthetic body, I altered his personality. I made him nice."

"I begged him not to." Eddy added. "But now I'm glad."

"And now I'm creeped out." Jaden added.

"One little fix and you expect us to believe that Eddy is nice?" Chase sounded sceptical, and I didn't blame him. Eddy had tormented us for years, and even though I only lived in the same house as the AI for about three years, I still hated the guy. I could only imagine how it must have been growing up with him. "I'm not buying it."

"No, it's true." Eddy insisted. "Earlier today, I caught Leo struggling to do a push-up. The old me would have mocked him, but the new me is just sad. Poor Leo!"

"…I guess that's better." I shrugged.

"Long story short, I still want to kill you guys…with kindness." Eddy smiled and I had to agree with Jaden – this was all very, very creepy.

"I don't get it." Bree interrupted. "You could have designed any kind of body for him, why does he look like that?"

""The beard hides my gear." Eddy explained. "You wanna see?"

Without waiting for an answer, he pulled back the hair on his beard to revel some USB ports and blinking lights. We all nodded, finally getting what the point of the beard was.

"And besides, I couldn't make someone better looking than me." Big D chuckled. "I mean, I literally could not. This is once in a lifetime stuff."

Eddy laughed. "That's my Donny." He cooed. Jaden looked at Mr. Davenport.

"Hey, well Perry's not the only one who's overworked. I'm cooking three meals a day for about a hundred people, completely on my own. I barely have any time for breaks, or sleep, or anything." He told him.

"Eddy can help you out between shifts, if you'd like." Big D offered. Jaden shook his head.

"I'm not that desperate." He replied. "But I do have an idea to help lessen the work load. Would you allow me to hire a couple of students as…well, as my assistants?"

"Depends on which students." Big D replied.

"I was thinking Bob and Katherine." Jaden answered. "Bob's not exactly a fighter like everyone else, but he was good taste when it comes to food, and Katherine likes to cook."

"Definitely yes to Katherine, as she is one of our highest levelled students, but I'd prefer Bob to spend a little more time training." Mr. Davenport told him. "But you're free to take any student with in the red level."

"Alright, cool." Jaden nodded before heading off, presumably to find his new assistant. Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

"Hey Janelle." I sighed, knowing it would be her.

" _So?"_  She asked expectantly.

"I can't come back to Mission Creek today." I told her. "Things here are just…"

" _Just what?"_  She asked, curious.

"Well, Eddy's here, and Chase is leaving for DC and Calla's upset about it, but she's pretending not to be and someone's got to talk to her, and I don't think Chase has realized that she's upset, so it's got to be me and I've just got a lot on my plate and I can't today. I'm sorry."

I heard her sigh.  _"It's not your fault."_  She told me.  _"But Leo, we need to talk."_

** xxx **

It was late, around ten PM, but most of the Academy was still awake. Most of the students had settled down in either the cafeteria for board games, or were chatting with their friends. Bree and Jaden were supervising together, while Adam and Rio were up on the roof together. Chase, meanwhile, was already packing for DC. Which left just one person missing.

"Hey." I called, finally finding her in one of the lesser used classrooms. Calla was sitting in one of the chairs, doing something on her laptop. There was a bowl of half-eaten popcorn on the table, along with a bottle of root beer.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked. I looked at her.

"You okay?" I asked. She glared at me.

"You keep asking me that, and I keep giving you the same answer. I'm fine."

"So that's why you're hiding out all alone in a dark classroom with popcorn?" I questioned. She glared at me.

"I like popcorn and we were out of ice cream." She defended herself.

"True." I agreed, pulling up a chair and sitting beside her. "But that still doesn't explain why you're sitting alone in a dark classroom."

To that, she had no answer. "This is about Chase leaving."

"No, it's not." She lied unconvincingly.

"You're upset that he's leaving, and now you're here to sulk where no one else can see you." I continued.

"I am not sulking." She glared at me. I smiled at her softly.

"You want him to stay."

"I…" Calla broke off and looked down at the bowl of popcorn. "Yes, I want him to stay."

"Then why did you tell him that he should take the job?" I questioned, still confused by that fact. She laughed darkly.

"Do you know what would have happened if I told him not to? If I told him to stay?" She looked at me. I considered it.

"There would have been a loud argument?" I guessed, not really sure. She shook her head.

"If I told him to stay, he would have. He would have given up the opportunity of a lifetime, just for me." She looked at me, eyes suspiciously bright. "I couldn't do that to him, Leo."

"Calla-" I began, but she shook her head.

"He wanted this so bad. He's always been big about the environment and this is the perfect job for him, Leo." She sighed. "I love him, and I want him to be happy."

"Even if that means leaving you behind." I finished.

"Yeah." She sighed. "Look, I…I don't want to talk about this, okay?"

"Okay, we don't have to talk about your relationship problems." I agreed softly. "Do you wanna hear about mine?"

She subtly wiped at her eyes, forcing a fake smile onto her face. "What does Janelle want this time?"

"She gave me an ultimatum." I replied, sighing. "Either come back to Mission Creek and be with her, or she'll start seeing Jake Mason again."

"Oh." Calla hummed thoughtfully.

"I told her that I hoped she and Jake were very happy together." I finished. Calla looked at me, surprised and completely distracted from the topic of Chase.

"You broke up with her?" She gasped. I nodded and she gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm so sorry Leo. I know how much you cared about her."

"It was gonna happen eventually, right?" I shrugged. She nodded, then looked at me.

"Alright, so do you want to talk about it, or do you want a distraction from it?" She asked. "Because I'm game for either."

"Let's go with a distraction." I stole the popcorn bowl from her. "What are we watching?" I asked, gesturing at her laptop screen. She smirked, a real one this time.

"Back to the Future." She replied before pressing play and leaning back in her chair. I smiled, doing the same. After all these years, I was still shocked that Calla and I could fall so easily back into our old traditions, like watching old sci-fi movies when one of us needed a distraction from reality.

** Chase's POV **

I walked into classroom number 4 (we almost never used this classroom for anything school related, so Mr. Davenport had offered to let the President use it for the interview) wearing a suit and carrying my two sit cases that I'd packed the night before. I wasn't sure if we would be leaving right away, or if we'd be leaving tomorrow or what, but just to be sure I'd promised Calla I'd say goodbye before I left. She seemed a little off when I said that, but to be fair, it was only seven o'clock in the morning, and she certainly was not a morning person, so I figured it was nothing.

"Alright, Mr. President!" I announced. "I'm all packed and ready to go. Where will I be staying? East Wing? West Wing? Pull out sofa in the Oval Office?"

"Hold on, now." The President chuckled. "I can't just give you the job. I meant it when I said there was an interview first."

"Oh, yeah, of course you did." I glanced at the committee members in the room. "This one, so by the book. Okay, I'll play along. Go ahead; interview me."

I almost laughed, knowing that interview was only a formality.

"Why don't you just tell the committee a little about yourself." The President suggested, taking a seat at the long table that had been brought in here.

"Well, for starters, I have so many scientific accomplishments, it would take me hours to list them all." I began. Sure, maybe I was being a little vain, but those accomplishments were what got me this job, and it made no sense to exclude them from the interview.

"Oh, that won't be necessary-"

"So glad you asked." I continued, cutting the President off midsentence. "First up, perfecting cold fusion…"

** Calla's POV **

"Alright, who wants to see my MISS project?" I announced, walking into the cafeteria. Chase had gone to his 'interview' about an hour ago, and I was trying to distract myself from that fact that by tonight, he would probably be in Washington. And the best way to do that was to bury myself in my work.

"Oh, right. Mr. D said you could finally put her to work, right?" Jaden settled into one of the chairs, sitting between Leo and Kieran. I nodded.

"Yep, and here she is." I pressed a button on the remote I was holding and the monitor changed. The screen went black, with the outline of a white oval appearing in the center. Three triangles, outlines in white, appeared, forming the shape of a face. "Say hello, Miss."

"Hello Miss Calla." A British voice answered back. Everyone stared at the screen.

"Cool, it recognizes who we are?" Kieran questioned.

"Of course, Mister Kieran." MISS replied.

"MISS here…well MISS, could you explain what you are?" I asked, stepping back.

"I am MISS, your new security system and virtual assistant. I will answer any question when asked, and I will keep the Bionic Academy safe from intruders."

"Interesting." Jaden hummed. "Reminds me of Siri a bit."

"Well, I was partially inspired by Siri." I admitted. Kieran frowned.

"What else were you inspired by?" He asked.

"Ultron?" I suggested, laughing a bit at their expressions. "But, seriously, test her out."

"Alright, MISS, what's the weather like in Mission Creek?" Jaden questioned.

"Well, there's a high of 27 degrees, with a zero percent chance of rain, so it'd be perfect for surfing, Mister Jaden." MISS replied. Jaden nodded.

"Impressive." Leo frowned.

"Alright, what is zero divided by zero?" He asked, obviously trying to be clever. But MISS was clever too.

"Imagine you have 0 cookies and you split them evenly among 0 friends. How many cookies does each person get?" MISS questioned. Leo opened his mouth to answer, but she beat him to the punch. "It doesn't make sense, and the cookie monster is sad that there are no cookies, and you are sad that you have no friends."  **(1)**

"Hey!" Leo protested. Kieran laughed.

"You programmed her to say that?" He laughed.

"Miss Calla programmed me to use sarcasm and sass to respond to any questions I deem stupid." MISS responded.

"Alright, fine. Last question." Rio stood up. "Does this new uniform make me look fat?"

"Not at all, Miss Rio. You look splendid." MISS replied. Rio smirked.

"I like her." She smiled.

"So do I." I smirked proudly. "My first AI."

"Just remember, we don't want a repeat of Ultron, alright?" Jaden looked at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Relax. I'm not stupid. I'm not going to give her a body, or even a chance to get one. Eddy's more likely to take over the world than MISS."

"You make a good point." Leo agreed. I turned back to the computer screen.

"Alright MISS, you've got an island to protect. Let me know if something strange happens." I instructed.

"Of course, Miss Calla." Her screen changed again, going back to live television.

"That is actually pretty awesome." Jaden congratulated me. "Well done, baby sister."

"Why thank you." I bowed a little, obviously mocking him. "I just wish Chase could have seen it before he left."

"Yeah, he would be impressed." Rio agreed.

"Yeah, but at least now, if this goes south, he won't be here to witness it." Kieran offered. I glared at them, a little annoyed.

"Hey, it's cool either way." Bree assured me. "But just to remind you, we've got a class to teach in five."

"Right. I'll see you later guys." Kieran and Rio were both supposed to be in Adam and Chase…Adam and Mr. Davenport's class today, but Adam had told them to skip because Mr. Davenport had work stuff and he just didn't feel like teaching without him or Chase. Luckily, we did have Leo in our class, so things would be pretty cool.

"Good morning, Eddy." Leo greeted the bearded AI as we walked down the hall.

"Go choke on a muffin!" He retorted. Bree, Leo, and I stopped, surprised.

"What did you just say?" Bree demanded.

"I said go choke on a muffin." Eddy replied. "But if you prefer, a bagel or Danish. So long as you're gasping for air, I'm good."

"Oh no." My eyes went wide. Oh, no.

"Oh yes." Eddy grinned. "I'm back!"

** Xxx **

"You remember all those times you treated me a like a piece of junk in the wall?" Eddy laughed cruelly. "Well guess what? It's your turn!"

After forcing Leo and Bree into bionic-disrupting handcuffs, Eddy had pushed us into the wall he'd opened up and sealed us in. The only way we could see out was through three tiny windows the size of his usual screen.

We screamed for help, but it was useless – no could hear us. Eddy laughed, watching us struggle.

"Don't get too excited. You'll use up all your air faster!" He laughed before leaving us here.

** Chase's POV **

I was about halfway through my list of achievements when Adam burst in, clapping two large cymbals together.

"Adam!" I snapped, stopping him. "What are you doing?"

"Oh my, I am so sorry. I thought you'd already left. Is this where you're having your little interview?" He asked, playing dumb. "What a coincidence! It's also where I practice playing my…" He looked at the cymbals. "…big, loud, shiny things."

He began to clap them together again, so I forced them together, stopping him. "Get out." I growled, trying to push him out of the room.

When I was finally sure that he's gone, I readjusted my tie and walked back to the table. "I'm sorry about that. He's just jealous because I'm going to Washington and he's not. Now where were we?"

Before I could continue, Adam ran back in, carrying a pizza box. "Pizza's here!" He announced loudly, placing the box on the table.

"Adam, I'm in the middle of my presentation!" I protested. The President stood up, staring at me.

"Middle?" He repeated, stunned. "I…Adam, sit down."

"Don't mind if I do." Adam took a piece of pizza and sat down in the nearest chair. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Well, I'd LIKE to be talking about global warming." The President cut me off before I could say anything. "I don't supposed you'd have any thoughts?"

Adam considered it. "Let's see…" He hummed. "The globe is warm and round, much like my pizza, and when I cool it, I only blow on the parts I'm about to take a bite of."

To prove his point, whatever his point was, he blew on his slice of pizza before taking a bite of it. The President looked at carefully.

"So you're saying that instead of focusing on the entire planet, we should zero in on the specific hot spots?" The President asked. I stared at him, surprised that he could interpret Adam's idiotic ramblings in that way.

"…Yeah." Adam shrugged, just going with whatever the President said.

"You know what?" The President smiled. "You may be on to something. Maybe I underestimated you, Adam. Perhaps we'll find more answers with a simpler approach."

"What?" I demanded, staring at them.

"I think we have another candidate for the job." The President announced. I stared at him, wide-eyed. No! This was supposed to be my job! I had expected to leave for my first day on the job at ten this morning, not to compete with my brother for it at four in the afternoon!

"Him? No!" I protested.

"Hear that, Chase?" Adam smirked. "I'm gonna be president."

I pulled Adam off to the side of the room, furious. "What do you think you're doing?" I demanded. "That job was mine!"

"Chase, I can't help it if I'm a genius." He defended himself.

"You are not a genius!" I growled.

"Well the President thinks so, and he's a pretty smart dude." He replied. "There's a reason he's the king of America."

Just to prove how stupid he really was, Adam turned around and saluted the President as he walked up. "Okay, here's how we'll decide who's the best candidate. We'll have a debate." The President told us. "Whoever wins gets the job. Fair?"

"Sounds good to me. Let's debate. I call skins!" Adam pulled off his mentor's jacket in one fluid motion, tossing it onto the ground by the doors.

"This is going to get ugly very fast." I mused, knowing that Adam had no chance of winning the debate. Adam frowned, confused by my statement.

"So you're going to be skins?" He questioned. I rolled my eyes and leapt up onto the stage at the end of the classroom. It had been Calla's idea to include an elevated area in every classroom, as a way to help with presentations and demonstrations, but we never actually used them often.

"First question." The President announced once we were both on stage. "Chase, what would you do to reduce greenhouse gases?"

A simple enough question. "Easy. Curtail our rapid consumption of fossil fuels, then overhaul our infrastructure and switch to renewable energy sources."

The President nodded thoughtfully, obviously liking my answer. "Adam, you're up."

"The planet of the Earth…" Clearly, he had no idea what to say here. "…and the fuels of fossil contain force, that is clearly curtain energy from…shoes, lightning cans, and ozone climate candles, yes."

I nodded to myself, knowing that they wouldn't even bother asking a second question after that horrible response.

"Okay, this debate is over." The President announced, just as expected.

"Whoo! Did I win?" Adam grinned. I laughed.

"Let me put it into terms you can understand." I replied, grabbing a slice of pizza from the box. "You see this pizza? This is you. And this is me." I took a massive bite from the pizza, devouring most of it in a single bite. "Ha! I just ate you up!"

Adam rolled his eyes at that, but it didn't diminish any of the pride I felt from eliminating my competition for the job.

** Leo's POV **

We were stuck in that fake wall for nearly half an hour before Kieran and S-1 had walked into the room, chatting about something important. They were both clearly surprised to see us, but after a few minutes managed to free us from our cages. Even when we did get out, we were covered in dust and bits of drywall.

"Big D!" I exclaimed, running into the mentors' quarters with Calla and Bree hot on my heels. He and Eddy were standing in the middle of the room. "Oh, goodness." Eddy exclaimed, faking surprised. "Look at these three messy Bessies. I hope those aren't school clothes, Donald."

"You know exactly what happened!" Bree accused, pointing at Eddy. "He disabled our bionics with his laser-cuffs. Then he cut open the wall, shoved us in, and sealed it back up."

"I don't believe that. I programmed him to be nice now." Big D reminded us.

"Really?" Calla questioned before grabbing a tablet. "MISS!"

"Yes, Miss Calla?" The female AI appeared on the screen.

"Please show Mr. Davenport the security footage from classroom number 1 from about half an hour ago." Calla instructed.

"Of course." MISS's image disappeared, replaced by footage of the classroom. But instead of showing Eddy locked us up in a freaking wall, it showed students going about the classroom, just hanging out like they normally would.

"I don't get it." I frowned. "MISS, are you sure this is the right footage?"

"Yes, Mister Leo." MISS replied.

"But the wall's intact." Calla frowned.

"But it was just-" Bree broke off, bewildered.

"It was just what, honey?" Eddy inquired. "Be a big girl and use your words."

"He must have doctored the footage." Calla exclaimed.

"Calla, how would he have been able to do that? You just downloaded MISS into the system." Big D pointed out.

"Eddy hacked into the Academy's systems this morning, while her programming was still on the server. He would know where every one of the weaknesses in her firewall would be. It wouldn't be that hard for him." She admitted. Big D gave her, and all of us, a stern look.

"Why are you guys trying to get Eddy in trouble?" He questioned. "He hasn't done anything."

"This is obviously a desperate cry for attention." Eddy stated before turning to us. "It's okay. There's enough of Daddy's love for all of us."

Mr. Davenport nodded. "It's only his second day as a human. He deserves better."

"We both deserve better." Eddy corrected.

I stared at Big D, shocked. "You're buying this?" For a world-class inventor, he could pretty stupid at times.

"If you're asking if I believe in my technology more than my children and employee, yes."

With that, he walked away, not wanting to hear anymore of our complaints.

** Chase's POV **

"Congratulations, Chase." The President told me. "You are clearly the most qualified candidate, and since I don't have to attend any more future meetings, welcome aboard."

"Thank you, sir." I shook his hand, smiling proudly.

"Oh, and Adam?" My brother stood up from where he was sitting. "Thank you…for the pizza."

"No problem. Give my best to the queen." He bowed as well, trying to be polite. The President just shook his head.

"We'll be sending a private jet for you tomorrow, Chase."He told me before he and the other committee members walked away. I waited until they were gone to talk to Adam.

"Did you really think that you were going to steal that job away from me?" I asked, amused. He really did look disappointed and upset that I'd gotten the job, which was weird because Adam was usually the best at handling things like rejection.

"No. I just didn't want you to get it." He admitted, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, because you're jealous." I accused.

"No I'm not." Adam seemed amused by the very thought of it.

"Yes, you are." I argued.

"No, I'm not!" He retorted.

"Yes, you are!" I snapped, frustrated that he refused to admit it. "Look at you! You are so jealous and you can't even admit it!"

"Okay, do you want to know the real reason I didn't want you to get the job?" Adam demanded, sounding a little emotional. I scoffed.

"Go ahead, this should be real good." I retorted. I couldn't think of a logical reason Adam wouldn't want me to get the job other than jealousy, so his excuse was sure to be amusing.

"I didn't want you to leave!" He exclaimed. That stopped me short.

"…Wait, that's what this was all about?" I questioned, caught off guard by his exclamation. He sighed.

"Yeah. But you know what? Doesn't even matter anymore." He told me. "Good luck Chase."

He walked away, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the empty classroom. I stood there for a while, contemplating what he'd said. Even though Adam and I had grown closer in the past few months (a result of all the near death experiences, if I had to guess) I still hadn't expected him to miss me all that much.

I guess I hadn't considered everything all the way through. I had been so caught up in what I was gaining, I hadn't even thought of what I was leaving behind. Or how the people I left behind would feel about this.

** Calla's POV **

"Found her." I hissed, leading Leo and Bree towards the hydroloop area. Sure enough, there was Perry, sitting at the base of the hydroloop tunnel and playing Candy Crush on her phone. "Now, what's the plan?"

"If Eddy's going to play dirty, so are we." Leo replied. Bree nodded.

"Follow my lead." She instructed. She led us into the room, looking at Perry. "So, seems like things have been running pretty smoothly with Eddy here, huh?"

"Yeah." Perry agreed. "With him on the job, I got to spend the morning spear fishing with my big toenail."

"So I guess it won't be long until Mr. Davenport notices how well Eddy's doing." Bree continued. I nodded, realizing what direction she was taking this in.

"And I do recall him saying that if you couldn't do the job, he'd replace you with someone who can." I added.

"Donny would never fire me. He loves me." Perry insisted. We all stared at her.

"He yells at you all the time and calls you horrible names." Bree pointed out.

"That's what people who love each other do." Perry retorted.

"Come to think of it," Leo continued, "Eddy is off doing your job as we speak. And if there's no job for you…"

He let that hang in the air, wanting Perry to figure it out herself and completely overreact. Which is exactly what she did.

"You're right, Dooley!" She exclaimed. "That dashing robo hippie is trying to steal my gig! I've got to go sharpen my big toe and go get him!"

She ran off, possibly with the intent to murder Eddy. "Awesome." Leo grinned, high-fiving Bree and I before fisting bumping us.

** Chase's POV **

I'd walked in on Adam doing some pretty strange things before, but never have I walked into a room to find him filling my capsule with socks. Nor did I know that he owned that many socks. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Oh, since you're leaving, I'm using your capsule as my sock drawer." He explained, walking over to the couch to grab more socks from the laundry basket.

"Well, you can stop." I told him. He shook his head.

"No, I can't." He replied. "I already broke up with my old sock drawer and if I go back now, it's just going to be awkward."

"No…" I tried to think of a good way to say this. "I mean, you can stop because I already called the president and told him I'm not going to take the job."

Adam stared at me for a long moment. "Why?" He eventually asked.

I sighed. "Look, I thought you were sabotaging me, so I acted like a jerk. But when you admitted that you just didn't want me to go, I felt terrible."

"Oh. Well, nothing makes me feel happier than knowing you feel terrible." Adam, always capable of finding a comeback that hid how he really felt. "But, you're really gonna stay?"

"Yeah, the more I thought about it…why would I go to Washington, DC? I already have my dream job right here." I replied. Adam got up, smiling.

"So long as you're staying, so do I." He told me. I smiled, although confused.

"And what's that?" I asked.

"Throwing you." He told me. He immediately started after me and I ran out the door. Old habits die hard, I supposed.

** Calla's POV **

We followed Perry into the main classroom, where Eddy was standing at one of the consoles. He was holding up a mirror that he must stolen from one of the students, and was admiring his beard. "Hey! Sasquatch!" Perry shouted, getting his attention.

"Hey Terr." He greeted, placing the mirror down.

"Don't you 'hey Terr' me." She snapped, getting all up in his face. "I know what you're up to, and there's no way you're stealing my job!"

"Oh, Terry, I could never fill your shoes." He told me. "Mostly because I don't fit into a size gnome."

"What'd you say to me?" Perry demanded.

"I said, why don't you go back to your mushroom house and leave me alone!" He shouted.

"Okay, that's it!" Perry exclaimed. "There's only room for one of us at this Academy."

"Yeah, I'll say." Eddy agreed. "So why don't you squeeze over and give me some space."

He started to walk away, having had enough of this conversation, but Perry wasn't through with him yet. "You're going down!" She shouted before running after him. She jumped on his, tackling him to ground inside the training area. Bree, Leo and I ran to the doorway, watching them in both anticipation and amusement as they wrestled and punched each other, neither of them holding anything back.

"Guys, what's going on?" I looked over my shoulder to see Chase and Adam run into the room.

"Eddy's bad again and Perry's trying to destroy him." Bree explained. Adam sighed.

"Well tell her to watch the beard. My phone's charging in there." He said. I looked at Chase.

"So, how'd the interview go?" I asked reluctantly. He thought about his answer.

"It…went well." He admitted slowly. I nodded, knowing that that was it.

"When are you leaving?" I questioned. He smiled.

"I'm not." He replied. We all stared at him. "I didn't take the job."

"Why not?" I asked, shocked. He smirked.

"Because there's no way there are any girls in DC as beautiful as you." He replied, pulling me close. I rested arms on his shoulders, my hands finding their way into his hair.

"Nice line, now the truth." I replied. He shrugged.

"I just…I didn't want to have to leave my family and friends behind." He admitted. "So you can stop pretending to be happy about the job."

"Awesome." I sighed. "Because I really hated it."

"I know." He agreed, leaning in for a kiss. Unfortunately, it was cut short by Perry, who chose to stagger back into the room at that exact moment.

"Used all my signature moves on him. Nothing worked!" She gasped. "Even the Perry Throttle!"

Eddy ran in then, looking more than a little annoyed that Perry bailed mid-fight. "Hey! Come back and fight me like the she-beast you are!"

"Oh, I will, you deranged drifter!" She shouted.

"Since you reprogrammed me to be mean again, I'm unstoppable." Eddy replied, smirking arrogantly.

"YOU reprogrammed him?" Leo demanded, looking at Perry.

"Not now, kids. I'm a little busy." She retorted before rushing back at him to fight some more. We watched it all with wide eyes, no longer amused.

"Whoa, Perry's getting her butt-kicked!" Chase chuckled.

"If we don't take Eddy out, he's going to terrorize this place forever." Bree reminded us.

"Not if my bionic leg has anything to say about it." Leo replied, lifting his foot up.

"That doesn't sound as macho as you think." I told him. He rolled his eyes at me, then turned back to the fight. Eddy was on top of Perry, pinning her down.

"Release the beast, Eddy." Leo ordered. Eddy looked up and rolled his eyes.

"Sit tight, Leo. You're next." He assured him before going back to trying to break Perry's leg.

"No, you are." Leo retorted, kicking Eddy in the butt. Because of the strength of his bionic leg, Eddy flew up into the air, hitting the wall with a thud. He fell onto this side, but climbed back to his feet as if nothing had happened.

"Didn't feel a thing." He smirked. "Who else wants to not hurt me?"

"That's it! I'm going to go get Mr. Davenport!" Chase announced.

"Go ahead! I have him totally fooled." Eddy laughed. "He has no idea I'm back to my old self."

"Yes, I do." Mr. Davenport corrected, suddenly appearing behind Eddy. He must have walked in when none of us were looking.

"Donny!" Eddy laughed nervously. "Hi!"

"You beard-dialled me on Adam's phone." Mr. Davenport informed him. "I heard everything."

"Everything?" Eddy repeated nervously. Mr. Davenport nodded. "It…it was just a show for the kids. I'm bad, I'm good. I'm bad, I'm good. I'm just a great big bag of emotions."

"It's over Eddy." Mr. Davenport snapped. "It's time for you to go back in the wall where you belong."

"No, please! I'll be good!" Eddy promised. "Or how about, just not bad in front of you? Split the difference? What do you say, Don-Don?"

Mr. Davenport didn't answer, instead going for the tablet. Eddy reached for it at the same time, and grappled with Mr. Davenport for it. "Don't make me hurt you, Donny. I don't want to hurt you!"

"You already hurt me. With your words!" Mr. Davenport hissed.

"Okay, I can't stomach much more of this." Bree told us, having heard what they said.

Suddenly, Mr. Davenport lost his grip on the tablet and fell forward, right into the wall. The man hit his head and fell, grimacing in pain.

"Oh, Donny! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it!" Eddy apologized. "I didn't mean-"

From out of nowhere, a blast of red plasma hit him, destroying his synthetic body instantly. Pieces of him flew everywhere, a couple nearly hitting us.

We looked around for the source of the blast and found Perry holding one of the weapons she must have stolen from the weapons' vault.

"I bet he felt that!" She laughed gleefully.

** Chase's POV **

"I see that Eddy's finally back where he belongs." Leo sighed, noticing how Eddy was back on the monitor. He was finally back to being an image that we all hated, just with one little change – Mr. Davenport had adjusted some of the visual settings so that Eddy had a long beard, just like his synthetic body.

"Not quite." Mr. Davenport replied. "He's going back to Mission Creek to be with Tasha."

"What? No! That wasn't part of our deal!" Eddy protested.

"Well that's what you get for sticking us in the wall." Calla retorted.

"Hey, who tore me apart, anyway?" Eddy demanded.

"MISS's new wallmate." Bree replied.

"Wallmate?" Eddy sounded surprised. I gestured at the wall next to him, where Perry was trapped in the same spot that had previously held Calla, Bree, and Leo. She was screaming for freedom.

"We have to let her out eventually." I mentioned.

"Yeah, but not yet…" Calla smiled brightly, holding my hand. And not for the first time today, I wondered how I could have ever considered leaving all of this behind.


	22. Curse of the Screaming Skull

** Calla's POV **

"No way, Gallows was way scarier!" I protested, laughing as Leo and I made our way through the hall. The Academy was eerily quiet, but eventually we found the others (Adam, Bree, Chase, and Jaden) in the main classroom near the training area.

"Hey, look who's still alive." Jaden commented as we walked into the room. "Hey guys, where've you been?" Chase asked, curious.

"We just finished watching a twenty-four hour horror movie marathon." I explained.

He replied, grinning. "I was so scared, I chewed through all my fingernails. But, on the bright side, I had a big bowl of popcorn, so they were delightfully tasty."

"And once again, I'm glad that we had two different bowls of popcorn." I smirked. Leo rolled his eyes and looked at the others.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked.

"Well we're trying to set up a wicked Halloween party for the students when they get back from Mr. Davenport's field trip." Bree sounded frustrated. "But how are we supposed to make it spooky when all we have is this pathetic little box of Halloween decorations?"

"And what's this disgusting slime in the trick or treat bowl?" Jaden added, pulling out the large bowl Tasha had always used for trick or treating. About half of it was filled with this icky orange slime.

"Oh, that's not slime." Adam informed him, taking the bowl from my brother. "That's last year's pumpkin. You know, I'm surprised it didn't keep."

He made the mistake of smelling the slime, only to gag at the odour and slide the bowl away from him. "So, what are we going to do?" Bree demanded.

"I've got an idea." Leo grinned. "What about a house of horrors?"

"What's a house of horrors?" Much to our surprise, Bob walked into the room, wearing normal clothes rather than his Academy uniform.

"It's when you fill a room or house with everything scary." I replied before frowning at him. "Wait, Bob, what are you doing here?"

"All the other students are out with Mr. Davenport on a field trip to the Davenport Birthplace and Museum."

"Gosh, darn it. I can't believe I'm missing that." Bob rolled his eyes, his tone sarcastic to the max.

"Really Bob?" Bree asked, looking at him.

"Oh come on! Part of the tour is him re-enacting his birth." The boy protested. Adam looked at him, impressed.

"This kid might be smarter than we thought." He realized. Bob finally noticed the trick or treat bowl.

"Oh, smoothie!" He grinned, taking the bowl and walking away with it.

"Maybe not." Adam corrected himself, following Bob out of the room.

"So, a house of horrors?" Chase sound sceptical. "Remember, we don't want to make it lame."

"Alright, then why don't we just go back to Mission Creek and do a little shopping?" I suggested. "We can get streamers, candy, balloons, a new trick or treat bowl, candy, maybe some costumes, a couple of Jack-O'-Lanterns, more candy-"

"You said candy three times." Leo reminded me. I looked at him, briefly wondering if he'd lost his mind.

"It's Halloween. I don't care if I'm eighteen or not, I need my Halloween candy." I told him.

"Dude, don't get between her and candy. It'll just end in blood." Jaden advised. I nodded.

"Yeah, and besides, we've got a hundred kids, and one of them is Bob. We're going to need a lot." I insisted.

"But costumes?" Jaden frowned. I nodded.

"We don't have to get expensive ones, and we can throw in some of our old ones from past years, but I think it would be cool to have a costume party on the island." I replied. "Besides, didn't Mr. Davenport set up a bank account that we're allowed to use for all student functions? We can just borrow some cash and pay him back later. I doubt he'd mind."

"He did say we could use it for things like this. And so long as we don't go over the set amount, he won't care." Bree reasoned. I nodded.

"Great. So Chase and I will do the shopping, then?" I smiled. Chase looked surprised.

"Why am I being forced to go shopping?" He complained. I sighed; unless we were going to Tech Town or some place similar, Chase hated shopping.

"Because, it's been a while since we've gotten a chance to go off by ourselves, and I thought we could grab lunch at that Thai food place you like." I replied. His face brightened.

"Alright, sweet." He grinned.

"Later machine people." Perry called, walking into the hall carrying a metal detector.

"And non-machine people. We're here too." Jaden reminded her. He glanced at the metal detector and frowned. "Wait, what are you up to?"

"I'm taking my metal detector to the beach to look for other people's money." She replied.

"So, what?" Leo looked at her. "You're doing going through our wallets?"

"Yep. How do you think I paid for this thing?" Perry gestured at the device in her hands.

"Hey Douglas." I greeted as the man walked into the room, carrying a couple of empty bags in his hands.

"If you need me," Perry continued, not having heard me, "I'll be at the island across the way."

"What island?" Douglas questioned suddenly. "The deserted one?"

Perry nodded. "Yeah. Care to join me? There's room for two in my inflatable kayak. If you're good, we can play shipwrecked passenger and curious island native."

"How about we play shipwrecked passenger and rescue pilot…who just keeps flying." Douglas countered, much to Perry's displeasure.

"Hey, I've always wondered about that island." Bree mused. "Ooh, maybe there are waterfalls."

"And caves." Leo added.

"And hidden beaches." I hummed.

"And maybe we'll be introduced to cool new species of insects." Chase grinned.

"And then, we can introduce them to a un-cool species of human." Bree smirked.

"Trust me, you don't want to go to that island." Douglas warned us. "From what I hear, that place is uninhabited for a reason. It's a scary jungle full of venomous snakes, spiders the size of dinner plates, rabid bats, and toxic plants that cause rashes."

"Rashes don't bother me." Perry offered. "I'm rarely without one."

To prove her point, she scratched the back of her neck. Douglas sighed and turned to us. "I'm headed to the mainland for a supply run."

"Oh, could you get me some more dish soap for the kitchens? Bob and Spin used the rest of it for…actually, I don't even know what they used it for, but we're out." Jaden requested. Douglas nodded.

"Sure. But while I'm out, promise me you won't go there." Douglas looked at us pointedly until we all agreed. Then, the moment he left on the hydroloop, Perry turned to us.

"Well, I'm off to that other island." She announced, heading towards the docks where Mr. Davenport kept a couple of his boats. It wasn't anything fancy – just a couple of speedboats and a sailboat, but it was still kinda cool.

"Hey, Douglas just told you not to go there." Chase reminded Perry.

"Yeah, well, the only voice I listen to are three inside my head." Perry retorted, not stopping on her way to the docks.

"Let's go with her." Leo decided. I stared at him.

"What? No!" I argued.

"C'mon, Calla. We don't always have to do what he says." Bree insisted, also thinking that it was a good idea. "We're not kids anymore."

"No way." I shook my head.

"It sounds like fun." Chase was even trying to convince me. "We could find those hidden beaches you were thinking about."

"You all want to go?" I questioned. They all nodded. "Fine, you four go ahead."

"Why won't you come?" Chase questioned. I looked at him.

"Six words." I replied. "Spiders the size of dinner plates."

"Douglas was probably exaggerating." Chase insisted. "And besides, I thought you were over your arachnophobia."

"Just because I killed one giant-ass spider does not mean I want to go to a deserted island that is potential full of them." I reasoned. I sighed when I saw the look on his face. "Look, you guys go. Have fun. I'll take care of the shopping while you're out."

"But I said I'd do that with you." Chase reminded me. I nodded.

"I know, but if I wait for you to get back, we won't have time to finish setting up before the students come back home." I replied. "We can always go out for dinner after we've finished setting up."

"Alright, if you're sure?" Chase looked at me. I pushed him away, a playful smirk on my face.

"Go. Enjoy yourselves. Just do three things for me." I looked at him.

"Of course. Anything." Chase assured me.

"Take a lot of photos, don't let Jaden bring back any pet spiders, and when you go to leave, make sure to leave Perry behind." I smiled. He laughed and kissed me on the cheek.

"I'll do my best." He called over his shoulder before following Bree, Leo, and Jaden to the docks. I turned back to the box of decorations, thinking to myself.

"Alright. Now what to get?"

** Chase's POV **

I did have to admit; the island was a little strange. The trees were so dense and close together that sunlight barely touched the forest floor, and there was definitely some sort of animal life here, if the occasional hiss and growl was anything to go by. Calla and Douglas must have been right about the massive spiders, because almost the entire forest was covered in gigantic spider webs, and the floor was littered with wet, mushy leaves on a layer of dirt.

"Douglas was right. This place is creepy." Leo commented, looking around. Suddenly, the sounds of screaming monkeys filled the air, making Leo jump. "Okay, seen it, saw it, done. Dooley's out."

He started towards where we'd left the boats, looking more than a little intimidated by the forest.

"Leo!" Bree laughed. "I can't believe you. You just watched a horror movie marathon, and now you're scared?"

"I am not scared." Leo defended himself. "I want to leave for a very manly reason. I have a blister on my pinkie toe."

"The island is full of animals I've never seen before." I commented, looking around. "Some of them aren't even in my database."

Suddenly, the ferns to our left started shaking violently. "Whoa!" I exclaimed, looking at them. "Here comes one crashing through the underbrush. I bet it's an exotic wild boar!"

Or not. Instead of a wild boar running straight at us, it was Perry, stumbling around the jungle with her metal detector in her gloved hands.

"You were right." Bree commented.

"Why are you wearing gloves?" Jaden questioned, frowning.

"I don't want to devalue any rare finds with my oily fingers." Perry explained. "Also, I'm on an island with four people I despise. Momma always said 'never leave fingerprints'."

"Have you ever found anything valuable with that thing?" I questioned skeptically.

"For your information, I found my lost wedding ring." She retorted. "It's been in my family for generations."

"Wow, that's actually kind of sweet." Bree commented, as surprised as the rest of us.

"Yeah. I made a bundle on it when I sold it back to her." Perry laughed, returning normalcy to the situation.

She began sweeping her metal detector across the ground, expecting to find something. "This island is obviously uninhabited, so I highly doubt you'll find anything here."

Almost as soon as I finished speaking, the metal detector started beeping like crazy, signalling that it'd found something metal.

"Jackpot!" Perry cried, dropping to her knees and beginning to dig. Like a dog, she tossed the dirt behind her without looking, pelting us with the filth. After a few minutes of digging, she unearthed a human skull, made out of black metal. "Payday! A skull found out here in the middle of nowhere has got to be some sort of treasure. I'm going to make a fortune!"

"You do know that's not a real skull, right?" Jaden questioned, looking at her. "It's made of metal."

"It looks more human than those two." Perry retorted, gesturing at Bree and I. Bree looked at Perry, a cautious look on her face.

"You know, I've heard of ancient relics being taken from their resting place." She mused. "They say bad things happen to the people that remove them."

"What harm is taking a little, old skull going to do?" Perry reasoned. "Let's let Bony decide. Hey Bony," she addressed the skull, "do you mind if I take you?"

She turned the skull around and started speaking in a strange accent. "Of course not. Save me! Just keep me away from those losers."

"Look, that skull is creepy, and more importantly, it doesn't belong to you. Leave it."

"You guys are wimps." Perry growled. I gave her a stern look. "Fine. If you're that freaked out, I'll put it back." She promised and I nodded, despite the whiny voice she used.

I waited until she tossed the skull back into the hole she'd dug. "Good. Now let's go. Calla's going to want us to help with the decorations."

We headed back towards where the boats were, ready to go. Of course, Jaden tried to sneak a tarantula on board with him (Bree made him toss it overboard) and Leo and I both took a few photos, but we did wait for Perry to finally arrive.

"What took you so long?" Jaden questioned when she finally came on board, her backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Nothing. Let's go." She replied, eager to head home. Shrugging, I started up the boat.

** Calla's POV **

"Hey Calla!" I glanced up from my laptop when Adam called my name. He was standing near the doorway to the training area, a Halloween decoration in the form of a ghost in his hands. "Come over here."

"What's up?" I asked, putting my laptop down. He handed me a rope.

"Hold please." He told me. I nodded and stepped back, holding the rope as he tossed the decoration over one of the ceiling support beams.

"You gonna drop this down on someone?" I assumed. He nodded, adjusting the decoration. The thing started shrieking laughter, the sound coming from a sound box in the back.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Bob asked, walking in. I guess he got bored of raiding the kitchen and came to find us.

"We're setting up a prank for Halloween." Adam explained.

"Awesome." Bob grinned. "Who's Halloween?"

Adam and I both started at him, more than a little surprised. "Halloween is not a person. It's the best holiday ever!" Adam exclaimed.

"After Christmas." I added.

"No way. Candy and scaring people beats Christmas carolling and mistletoe any day." Adam snorted.

"Yeah?" I challenged. "Tell Rio that you don't like mistletoe, she how she reacts."

"I like mistletoe. It's just that candy is better." Adam retorted before frowning at Bob. "Wait, why don't you know about Halloween?"

"Blank slate, remember? Krane's mind control erased everything." I pointed out before Bob could reply.

"Plus, I don't have a good memory." Bob added. "And I'm not a very good listener. Plus, I don't have a good memory."

"Halloween is a holiday where you scare people." Adam explained. "You can help us prank Jaden, Bree, Chase, and Leo."

"Cool" Bob grinned. I smiled, even as I heard the sound of my brother's voice as he spoke to someone.

"Quick! Distract them so we can spring this on them." I hissed.

"They'll never see it coming." Adam grinned as we ducked behind the barrier to our right. I pulled on the rope, raising the decoration into the rafters, and then handed to Adam so he could do the honours. It was his prank after all.

"Hi guys." Bob greeted. The others stopped in front of him.

"Hey Bob, what are you doing?" Bree asked.

"I'm distracting you so Adam and Calla can scare you with this fake Halloween thingy." Adam and I sighed, a little frustrated. Though, we should have realized that Bob would blow it for us.

"Nice try guys." Chase called as we walked out.

"Bob." Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. "You can't warn people they're going to be scared before you scare them."

"Why not?" The boy frowned.

"Because who would be scared when they know it's coming?" I replied. Suddenly, the Halloween decoration dropped down to eye level, with nothing there to hold it up on the other end of the rope.

Adam and Bob screamed in surprise, hugging each other out of fear. They pushed each other away after they realized what they'd done, but it still wasn't enough to keep me from chuckling.

"Except you guys." I commented, correcting my previous statement before heading into the main classroom with Chase, Bree, and Leo. Meanwhile, Jaden headed off to the kitchens to get lunch ready.

"So, what'd you buy?" Bree asked.

"Kit-Kats, Aero Bars, Mars Bars, Big Foot candy, candy apples-" I began to list.

"Aside from the food, baby." Chase murmured, smiling a little. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, so I bought chocolate, candy, and candy apples, along with a lot of decorations, some orange and black streamers and balloons, a new trick or treat bowl, a thingy off apples so we can do bobbing for apples, and a few Halloween movies to play." I replied. "Oh, and no costumes."

"Why not?" Leo questioned. I looked at him.

"Because I thought I could get a good deal on them by renting such a large amount and because Rebeccka dated the guy who runs the Halloween Superstore, but he couldn't manage it. So, no costumes, but we'll let the students dress up in their regular clothes rather than their uniforms, alright?"

"Yeah, that works." Leo agreed.

"Good. Now, let's get started."

** Chase's POV **

"Alright, we're done." I sighed, looking around at the training area. We'd just spent two hours working on the decorations, finding the perfect places to put them and, in Adam and Calla's cases, finding the perfect places to hide pranks. "By the way, why must you scare the students?"

"Because it's fun, and besides, it's a good lesson that Halloween is supposed to be scary in a funny kind of way." She replied with a shrug. "So, early dinner?"

"It's more like a late lunch, but sure." I agreed, walking with her to the hydroloop. Leo and Bree came with us, but only so they could get some more decorations. We were about to leave when I noticed Perry in the room, along with the skull I'd specifically told her to leave on the island.

"The skull!" I exclaimed. Everyone frowned, then looked at Perry.

"She lied to us and took the skull from the island! We're cursed!" Leo proclaimed.

Perry rolled her eyes. "Relax. I've been with the skull all day and nothing bad has happened to me. A little heartburn around noon, I got a chunk of hotdog stuck in the old air hose, but I'll work it out by dinner.

"Just because nothing bad has happened yet doesn't mean it won't." Leo snapped. He turned to Calla. "Remember in that movie, Skull Apocalypse, that group of kids dug up that cursed skull and one by one they all met horrible deaths because there's no cheating fate! We're all gonna die!"

"Good to see you're not overreacting." Bree commented sarcastically. Leo stared at her.

"That's exactly what the pretty brown haired girl said right before she became the pretty brown haired girl on a hook." He growled.

"No, she didn't." Bree retorted.

"Actually, she did. Those exact words." Calla mentioned, giving her a sheepish smile before looking back at Leo. "But dude, you need to chill. Curses, fate…that's all a bunch of mythical crap that our ancestors came up with to explain why things happen."

"Non-believer." Leo hissed.

"No, I'm just in touch with reality, unlike you." Calla replied cheerfully. I sighed at their petty argument, then turned to Perry.

"You shouldn't have taken that skull off the island. You don't know who buried it there and why." I told her sternly.

"Yeah." Leo agreed. "In Skull Apocalypse, it was this really tall man in blue jean overalls and he had no face."

"Leo, relax." Bree told him. "It was just a movie."

"Was it, Bree? Or was it a promotion?" He challenged. Calla sighed.

"I am seriously regretting inviting you to join me in my horror movie marathon." She muttered.

"We're all going to die!" Leo exclaimed.

"Stop saying that!" Bree screamed. I let out a harsh sigh of frustration.

"That is it!" I snapped at all of them, snatching the skull off the table. "This thing is going back where it belongs!"

I started to head back to the docks, fuming. God, those four were so frustrating at times. I was just starting to get a massive migraine, and I was pretty sure it was because of their arguing. Better to get this skull out of here now and let that be the end of it.

"Chase, hold up!" I slowed down, hearing Calla call me. She stopped in front of me.

"What?" I questioned, trying to not sound like I was completely done with all the arguing.

"Do we have to bring the skull back now?" She asked me. I crossed my arms, the skull still clutched in my right hand.

"Why the hell wouldn't we?" I demanded. She frowned, looking a little hurt.

"I figured it would be better to wait until after the party and stuff so we'd still have time to go out." She told me. "There's no need to get so annoyed with me."

"I…" I winced as my headache increased. "I told Perry to leave it there and she lied to me. And I don't want to hear another one of Leo's 'we're going to die' speeches, so yes, I'm bringing it back."

"Oh, alright." Calla nodded.

"I'll be back in plenty of time for dinner. It's only about four, and the students aren't supposed to be back until 9:30-ish." I assured her. She was still frowning.

"Nah, that's okay. We can go tomorrow." She told me. Before I could object, she continued. "Hey, are you feeling okay?"

"Massive migraine, but I'm fine." I assured her, rubbing my temples a bit. She looked at me, sceptical.

"You should lie down or something." She advised. "You're looking a little pale."

"I'm fine." I assured her. She looked at me. "I'll take a nap when I get back, okay? Then Thai food tomorrow."

"Deal." She kissed me on the cheek. "Tell me if you're feeling worse, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Now, go help Jaden with the food stuff for the party. With his assistant, Katherine, on the field trip, he's all alone."

"Okay." She agreed, heading off. I frowned again, my head feeling like it was about to fall off.

** Calla's POV **

"We need a new prank." Adam announced, walking into the cafeteria. He looked at me. "What you doing?"

"Jaden's got me on taste-testing duty." I explained, showing him the spread. "He wants me to pick a desert, but I'm torn between pumpkin pie and the angel food cake that's shaped and frosted to look like a ghost."

"Go with both." Adam advised. I nodded.

"Jay!" I called. He looked out the kitchen window. "Let's just do both."

"Alright, sure." He replied before heading back in. I turned back to Adam.

"You were saying?" I asked.

"We need a new prank." He repeated himself.

"Right, because Bob ruined the first one." I thought deeply. Adam had always been the prankster of the group, especially on Halloween. I'd help him when I could because, well it was Halloween and scaring people is just what you're supposed to do. "Any ideas?"

"I've got one." Bob interjected, walking in. We looked at him, surprised.

"You do?" Adam questioned. He nodded.

"I'm sorry I messed up your prank, but I heard Calla talking earlier about her house of horrors and I thought I'd make one to make up for it."

"You made a house of horrors?" I questioned, curious. He nodded.

"Filled with everything I find terrifying." He added.

"Cool. Let's see what you've got." Adam encouraged. Bob led us into one of the empty classes, where three items were covered with sheets.

"First up," He announced, pulling the sheet off of the first item. Beneath it, on a pedestal, was one of the tests Chase had given the kids a few weeks back. "A math test."

"…Okay." I hummed, glancing at Adam. He shrugged.

"And," Bob continued, oblivious to our lack of fear He tore the sheet off of another item and it revealed another pedestal, this one with a potato on it. "A potato whose eyes follow you no matter where you go."

Adam and I both looked at the items skeptically.

"And finally, the most horrifying of all!" Bob announced, ripping the sheet off a Santa Clause statue. He looked at it in terror, then looked at us for our reactions.

"C'mon Bob. No one thinks Santa's scary." I told him.

"Are you kidding? A strange man breaks into your house in the middle of the night and steals your cookies?" Bob demanded. "No thank you."

"Bob, shh. He's watching." Adam hissed. Bob looked down at the statue, then back to us.

"He is?" He whispered, sounding scared.

"Yeah. He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake…" Adam's eyes went wide. "Oh my, he is creepy."

"Or at least a very good stalker." I replied, looking at the statue suspiciously.

** Xxx **

"Chase?" I called, walking into the mentor's quarters. Leo and Bree were sitting at the counter, going over the Bionic Academy Manual. It was a book I'd put together at Mr. Davenport's request that had information on emergency drill procedures (for instance, where the life boats were) a map (because someone – Bob – kept getting lost) and just some basic rules.

"Uh, no. Haven't seen him." Leo told me. "Why?"

"He wasn't looking too great earlier and I wanted to check in on him, make sure he wasn't sick or anything." I replied, walking in.

"He probably went go lie down in your room where it's nice and quiet, then." Bree suggested. I nodded.

"Yeah, of course. I should have checked there first." I replied, starting to head out. But when Perry ran in, practically screaming like a little girl, I stopped. "What's wrong with you?"

"Dooley was right!" She exclaimed. "That skull is cursed. Over the last hour, I've had three near fatal accidents. That's two more than my daily average."

"Okay, what are you talking about?" Bree questioned, bemused.

"First, I was in the shower, when the glass door shattered into jagged pieces." Perry listed. "Then, I drew a bath,, but the blow dryer fell in, electrocuting the water. And then, I hopped into the kitchen sink, but my foot got stuck in the garbage disposal."

"Why were you that determined to get clean?" Bree asked, confused.

"I'm like a lizard. Once a year, I shed my top layer. There's a whole skin outline of me circling the drain." Perry replied.

"Why did you have to ask?" I looked at Bree accusingly, disgusted by what Perry had revealed. Suddenly, a weird sound, similar to that of creaking metal, came from the air.

"What was that?" Bree asked. We all glanced upwards, towards the sound of the noise, and saw the ceiling fan shaking violently. We just barely managed to run out of the way when it felt, shattering on the ground where we'd been standing.

"See? What did I tell you?" Perry exclaimed.

"Okay, okay. Everyone just calm down!" Bree exclaimed, trying to be reasonable. I nodded.

"It's just a freakish coincidence." I assured Perry. "Nothing to be scared of."

I spoke too soon, though, as seconds later, we found three knives flying at our heads. Bree and I had time to duck, while Leo just held the manual in front of his face. Two of the knives hit the book dead on, parts of the poking out the other side, while the last knife buried itself in the wall behind me.

"That is not a coincidence!" Leo snapped at me. I was too stunned to answer, even as he began to freak out. "This is just like the movie! Perry brought the curse back and now we're doomed."

"Everyone just calm down!" Bree shouted. "If we stay still, nothing bad can happen to us, right?"

"That is horrible, horrible logic." I pointed out. She looked at me.

"You have any other ideas?" She challenged.

"Hide in the capsules?" I suggested with a shrug. "They're missile-proof, right?"

Suddenly, before anyone could even question my idea, the fireplace roared to life, spitting out balls of fire every which way. One of them flew directly over Perry's head, singing her hair.

"My hair piece!" She cried, reaching for the back of her head.

"Okay, well, there you have it." Bree said, panic filling her tone. "The curse is real and her hair is not."

"Guys?" We turned to see Adam and Jaden in the doorway. "We heard screams. Is everything okay?"

"Did you prank someone without me?" Adam demanded, looking at me. We quickly explained what had happened.

"And then the fireplace shot a fireball straight at us!" Bree exclaimed.

"And that's why my hair smells like barbeque." Perry finished.

"That's not why your hair smells like barbeque." I commented. She shrugged.

"This is not officially a death trap island." Leo announced.

"Oh god." I muttered, realizing the reference he'd just made.

"This is just like that movie, Death Trap Island." He realized.

"Whoa, let me get this straight. Only the people who took the skull from the island are cursed, right?" Adam questioned.

"Yes." Leo agreed.

"Oh, cool. Then Bob, Calla, and I are all good." He grinned.

"But I went shopping while they were on the island." I pointed out. "Why are bad things happening to me too?"

"You mean the knives and the ceiling fan?" Bob asked. I nodded. "That wasn't a curse. That was Chase."

"What?" Bree demanded.

"Yeah. I saw him setting up his own house of horrors." Bob explained. "He used his magnetism app to control those knives. I would have told you guys earlier, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise."

"That doesn't make any sense!" I protested. Jaden nodded.

"Calla's right. Why would he do something like that?" He questioned.

Suddenly, Chase came out of nowhere, leaping on top of the decorative rock in the room. There was obviously something wring with him – his skin was pale and a little grey, his face was twisted into a menacing look, and his eyes were practically glowing, their color now a crimson red. "Because I want to kill you!" He exclaimed, holding out the black skull from earlier.

We all screamed, shocked. "The curse must have possessed him and made him crazy!" Leo exclaimed as we began running out the door.

"Whoa, stop here." Jaden slowed to a stop in the main classroom, a little out of breath from running so fast. We all skidded to a stop, though we were still cautious, as we were waiting for Chase to pop out at any second.

"What was that?" I demanded, looking from face to face, hoping for an explanation.

"The curse." Leo replied. I shook my head.

"No such thing as curses." I muttered. "And besides, why would it only curse Chase? All of you went to the island."

"This is exactly what happened in that movie, When Cursed Friends Kill." Leo realized. Jaden looked at me.

"I haven't seen that one." He mentioned.

"A curse turned a kid into a monster and he killed all of his friends." I summarized briefly. Bree looked at Leo and I.

"Where do you even find these movies?" She demanded.

"We special ordered that one from Finland." Leo replied, smiling. I had to agree – it was money well spent.

"Ah, Finland." Adam sighed with a happy smile. "Little known fact: they invented dogs."

We all looked at him, but decided that now wasn't the best time to correct him on that. "Okay, we have to stop Chase before he hurts himself or anyone else." Bree decided.

"Agreed." I nodded.

"Here, robot. Use my laser cuffs." Perry handed her a pair of the power-restraining hand cuffs, the same ones that Eddy had used to trap Leo, Bree, and I in the wall last week.

Bree took them and sped off, only to reappear seconds later with a struggling Chase. He growled at her, but she did not relinquish her grip. "If this skull is really cursed, we have to get rid of it." She decided. "I'm taking it back to the island."

She ripped it out of Chase's hands. "Wait!" Bob stopped her.

"What?" She demanded.

"I'll miss you." He told her sincerely. She rolled her eyes and sped away, just as Adam grabbed Chase by the shoulders, refusing to let him get out of our reach.

"Now we need to find a way to fix this." I stated, looking at Chase worriedly.

"You have any ideas?" Jaden looked at me. I shook my head, my eyes not leaving Chase's. They were wild and, if I was to be honest, a little unnerving.

Suddenly, the hydroloop doors opened and Douglas walked out, a box held under one arm. "Jaden, I got that soap you…" He broke off when he saw the growling and snarling Chase being held back by Adam. "What's going on?"

"You came back to rescue me!" Perry exclaimed gleefully. "Take me away from this place. We can live on the run, no looking back. I know a guy who can get us new passports and jobs at a tire factory overseas."

"This is all your fault, Perry!" I exclaimed, frustrated that she thought she could get away with this.

"What happened?" Douglas demanded, looking at me. I pointed at Perry accusingly.

"She brought back some freaky skull from that abandoned island you specifically told us not to go to and now Chase is cursed and he's trying to kill everyone!" I practically shouted.

"You went to island after I told you not to?" He demanded. "And while you were there, you found a skull made of shiny black metal and you decided to bring it home with you?"

"How'd you know what the skull was made of?" Leo asked suspiciously.

"Because I know what's going on." Douglas sighed, before looking at Chase. He was still trying to get away from Adam, struggling while making animalistic noises of frustration. "It's not a curse. Chase has a virus that I created during my evil days."

"A virus?" Jaden repeated.

"It turns people psychotic and makes them want to annihilate everyone." Douglas replied with a proud smirk.

"Why would you ever create something like that?" Leo demanded.

"I was going through a rough patch and wanted to watch societies destroy each other!" Douglas defended himself.

"Can you say anything wrong?" Perry cooed. Douglas rolled his eyes.

"I never meant for it to be used." Douglas promised us. "It was in my big box of evil. So, when I saw that uninhabited island, I thought I might be able to bury my past where nobody would ever go."

"Why didn't you just destroy the virus?" Jaden questioned, stating the obvious. Chase suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Leo by the shirt.

"Bad Chase!" I scolded, slapping his hands away. Adam readjusted his grip on Chase so that he could keep his arms pinned, but it was clear that Chase was fighting with everything he had.

"I guess I figured it would be good to have around in case I ever got the evil bug again." Douglas replied, shrugging.

"Spend enough time with me and you're bound to catch something." Perry offered.

"You guys are cute." Bob mentioned, addressing her and Douglas. "I should grab Bree and we can double date."

"You're not going on a date with my girlfriend!" Jaden exclaimed, exasperated. Bob shrugged, obviously having no intention of listening to my brother.

"The skull was just an old paper weight. It got contaminated when I spilled some of the virus on it." Douglas continued. "That's why I buried it. Anyone who touches it becomes a crazed maniac."

"Crazed maniac!" Chase laughed, his voice rough like sandpaper.

"But I'm the one who found it." Perry remembered. "And it didn't turn me evil."

"Probably because you're already there." Douglas replied.

"No, she was wearing gloves." Leo realized. "They must have protected her from the virus."

"Wait." Adam stopped us. "So Chase turned into a deranged maniac because of a virus you created?" Chase laughed and nodded to prove his point.

"This Halloween thing is way too complicated." Bob complained. "When's the holiday when we go around laying eggs."

"February 31st, Bob." I retorted, not really wanting to have to explain to him that that wasn't a holiday.

"Guys." Leo's eyes went wide. "This is just like that movie where-"

"Shut it!" We all snapped, having had enough, even Chase.

"Wait." Jaden stopped us, a look of horrified realization on his face. "So anyone who touches it gets infected?"

"Yes, which is exactly why we have to destroy it before anyone else gets infected." Douglas nodded. "Now where is it?"

"Bree has it." Jaden said. "She said she was going to take it back to the island."

"What?" Douglas demanded.

"We have to find her now." Jaden told us, a worried look on his face.

"This is just like that-" Leo stopped himself. "Actually, this isn't like anything. I may go to Finland and pitch this to the studios."

"Dude, so no important." I growled. Douglas rolled his eyes.

"Bob, watch Chase." Douglas instructed. Adam pushed Chase into Bob's waiting arms, then we ran to try and find Bree. We searched the entire island, but when we couldn't find her, we came back to the classroom.

"Guys? Anybody?" I heard Bob shouted, causing me to run a little faster. When we got there, we found Bob tied to a support column, his hands in the laser cuffs, and Chase nowhere to be found.

"Bob! What happened?" Adam demanded.

"I found Bree." Bob explained. "She's infected now too."

"Great." Jaden muttered.

"Hey, we'll fix this." I assured him, knowing that there was nothing that could stop me from getting rid of that virus. I looked at Bob. "Are you hurt?"

"No, but Bree's gone to find a tool that would inflict the most pain." Bob replied as Jaden started to untie the poor kid. "I think this may be the most attention she's ever given me."

"So, Dougy." I glanced at Douglas and saw him take a seat at the consol. "How do we fix this."

"You know," He replied thoughtfully, "when I created this virus, I probably should have created an antidote for it."

"You don't have an antidote?" Jaden questioned.

"No. When creating deadly viruses, the cure is somebody else's problem." Douglas replied, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"No." I shook my head. "Always create an antidote for two reasons. One, you might accidently get infected yourself, and two, so you can sell it to the world leaders for billions of dollars and become set for life. Seriously, do you know nothing about being a super villain?"

He just looked at me. "The virus has contaminated their human tissue." He informed us. "We'd have to be surgeons to remove it."

"Great. So we send Bob to medical school and we meet back here in twenty years." Adam said. "Actually, better make it twenty-one. I need a year to find myself."

"There's got to be something we can do." Jaden insisted, looking at me. But I was just as clueless. Luckily, Leo came to our rescue.

"What about Big D's nanobots?" He suggested. I snapped my fingers and pointed at the boy.

"Dooley, you're a genius!" I exclaimed, feeling stupid for not having thought of them earlier. Jaden frowned.

"Nanobots?" He repeated.

"They're like microscopic surgeons that seek out diseased cells and destroy them." I explained. "Also, fun fact, if you feed them to a llama, the llama will end up spitting acid."

"I don't even want to know how you know that." Jaden told me. Douglas looked at us.

"Donny told me that he didn't bring those to the island." He informed us.

"That's because he didn't want you using them to experiment on the students." Leo replied. Douglas looked like he was about to object, then he thought about it.

"Yeah, that was a good call." He admitted.

** Xxx **

"I put the nanobots in this high tech tranquilizer pen." Douglas announced, holding up what looked a little like a very high tech epipen. We had been waiting about twenty minutes for him to finish, and in that time both Jaden and Adam had gone to see if they could find Chase or Bree. So far, only Jaden had returned. "We just have to get close enough to Bree and Chase to inject them into their blood stream."

"Let's go find them." Leo decided. We started to head out when the training room doors slid open, revealing Bree behind them. She, like Chase, was pale and grey, with those freaky red eyes. A knife was held loosely in her right hand.

"No need." She smirked, her voice sounding off as well. We tried to run the other way, knowing how much damage a super speeder with a knife could do, but we were cut off by an equally armed Chase.

"We found you." He growled. Douglas looked between the two, then rushed at Bree, hoping to be able to inject the nanobots. She reacted instantly, speeding out of harm's way and tripping Douglas so that he fell to the ground with a groan. Leo raced up to him and tried to grab the tranquilizer pen, but Chase used his telekinesis to send it flying across the room. Bree then sped to the door, blocking off our escape. Both of them advanced on us, the knives held threateningly.

"Chase, stop it." I tried to talk him down. I knew that it probably wouldn't work, but it might be able to slow him down, right?

"Bree, knock it off." Jaden joined in. "This isn't funny anymore."

"Trick or treat." We looked up to see Adam, just as pale with red eyes, walking towards us with a smirk on his face.

"Adam, take them out!" Douglas ordered.

"Actually, I'm going to take you out." He sneered.

"He's infected too." I murmured. "He must have touched the skull too."

"Let's do it guys." Adam laughed. Bree and Chase came to his sides, ready for them all to attack us at once.

"There's no way we can fight off three deranged superhumans." Leo told us.

"You're right, Dooley. We are all going to die." Perry realized before pushing him up front. "You first."

I felt myself being pushed too, though it was backwards. Jaden stepped in front of me slightly, big brotherly instinct taking over.

Suddenly, Adam did something that surprised us. He raised his hand, revealing the tranquilizer he was holding, and injected both of his siblings before they could react. They both fell to the floor, out cold.

"What just happened?" Bob asked, even as we all relaxed slightly. Adam grinned proudly.

"I used my heat vision to fake like I was infected so I could get close enough to them to inject them." His eyes flashed red again before going back to his normal brown.

"Good thinking." I complimented. Man, we should give him more credit. "But how'd you get your skin to look like that?"

"I used some of Bree's makeup." He replied. "She's got some good stuff in her purse." He raised his arm. "Smell me. It's razzleberry body mist."

"Adam, I can't believe you came up with that idea all on your own." Douglas smiled. "This may be the smartest thing he's ever done."

"Yep. Who'd knew that it would come down to me and this little tranquilizer thingy to save the day?" He clapped his hands together, forgetting that he was still holding the tranquilizer. He accidently injected himself, causing him to collapse alongside his siblings. I looked at the others.

"Did anyone else see that coming?"

** Chase's POV **

"We did what?" Bree demanded as Calla finished explaining. We'd both woken up on the floor of the main classroom only half an hour ago, with splitting headaches that had thankfully disappeared since and no idea what was going on.

"You were sick with a virus that Douglas created and in your crazed delirium, you thought it was a good idea to try and eliminate us." Calla repeated, sitting down on the couch next to me. I looked at her carefully, examining her the best I could.

"I…I didn't hurt you, did I?" I demanded. She opened her mouth to respond, but I cut her off. "The truth, Calla. If I hurt you at all, I need to know."

"Chase, relax." She rubbed my arm with a soft smile on her face. "I'll admit, you scared me a little with the whole knives thing, but you didn't hurt anyone, least of all me."

"Promise?" I murmured. She nodded.

"Promise." She kissed me on the cheek, adjusting her position on the couch so I could wrap my arm around her shoulder.

"You didn't hurt anyone either, baby." Jaden told Bree as he sat down on the arm of the couch. Everyone else was just standing around the mentor's quarters.

"You guys really don't remember anything about becoming possessed and trying to destroy us?" Leo questioned.

"Nope." We replied.

"And you don't remember borrowing two hundred dollars from me?" Perry questioned.

"Nope." We looked at her, highly sceptical that we'd borrowed any money at all.

"Then it was three hundred." She corrected herself, holding out her hand, expecting cash.

"I don't understand any of this." I complained. "And how come there was a potato in front of my face when I came to? It's weird. It's like its eyes are following me."

"It's time to get that skull back where it belongs." Douglas decided, satisfied that we were alright. "Buried with the rest of my evil past. Now, where is it?"

"It's right here!" Bob walked in, eyes red and his skin pale. "I'm going to destroy you all! Merry Halloween!"

"C'mon Bob, you know you're not supposed to touch that. Give it to me." Adam scolded, taking the skull from him.

"I'll go get the nanobots." Leo offered, knowing that Adam would be infected from touching it. Calla sighed.

"Here we go again." She muttered.


	23. Date Night

** Calla's POV **

"C'mon S-1!" "Kick her butt, Rio!" Students cheered from the sidelines. It was the weekly Bionic Battle between the students and Rio had chosen S-1 as her opponent for this week. I was surprised, but not disappointed. Most students had the tendency to only choose people they had no chance of losing against, but Rio had chosen S-1 specifically because they were equally strong. She wanted a fair fight and a challenge, which made it a much better fight.

Rio put up an excellent fight, dodging most of S-1's blows and using her intangibility to escape the rest, but S-1 eventually bested her, using the element of surprise to flip the younger girl onto the ground. S-1 wasn't done there, though, as she dropped with Rio and grabbed her by the arm, forcing the limb behind her back in a painful twist. Rio struggled against her, but it was useless.

"There's no shame in tapping out, Rio." I warned gently. "Put up a fight if you think you've got a chance, but if she breaks your arm, you're not going to be training for a while."

Rio struggled for a few moments more before going limp. She slapped the ground a couple of times with her other hand and S-1 immediately released her. Both girls stood up and brushed themselves off.

"And the winner is…S-1!" I announced. Half the crowd burst into applause for the grinning girl, while Rio patted her on the back good naturedly. "Nice job."

"Thanks." S-1 grinned before smiling at Rio. "You pulled off some really cool moves."

"You too. Hey, can you show me how you did that flip? It wasn't the regular kind…" Both girls walked away, chatting animatedly about their sparring match. I smirked, glad that S-1 was making friends here. The students had been a little wary of her at first, but she was fitting in fast as a red level student. All that was left was for her to choose a name for herself.

"Alright everyone." I clapped my hands together. "That's all for today. Enjoy the rest of your Friday night."

"See you later, Calla." "Have a good evening, Calla." Many of the students waved as they left the classroom, the others discussing what they were going to do tonight, or what they hoped Jaden and Katherine made for dinner.

I was about to follow them out when I felt a pair of arms slip around my waist. "Hello." An all too familiar voice hummed before kissing my cheek. I laughed lightly, twisting around in Chase's arms so I could face him. I laid my own arms on the back of his neck, smiling at him.

"Hey." I smiled, leaning forwards to kiss him.

"So," Chase mused when I finally pulled away, "that was your last class, right?"

"Yeah, I saved the Bionic Battle for the last. S-1 versus Rio." I replied, smiling cheerfully. Chase nodded.

"Must have been epic. Who won?" He inquired.

"S-1, but it was pretty close." I answered, backing up a bit and grabbing his hand. "So, it's almost five. Wanna grab an early dinner then watch a movie or something?"

"Or something." Chase replied. I frowned and he smirked. "Go get changed."

"Why?" I asked, confused as to why he was in such a good mood. Not that I was complaining.

"We're going out." He told me. I smiled, a little bemused.

"We are?" I was surprised. We hadn't 'gone out' in a while, usually just chilling here at the island because of our responsibilities. "But the students…"

"Jaden and Leo are going to cover for us." Chase assured me. "Besides, we haven't a date night in a while."

"No, we haven't." I agreed, starting to head up to my room. I stopped at the door. "Uh, what are we doing?"

"It's a surprise." He replied, still smirking. I leaned against the doorframe, looking at him. "Wear something cute. Oh, and comfortable shoes."

"…Alright." Now I was intrigued. This wasn't some dinner reservation like we usually had. This was going to be fun.

** Leo's POV **

"Damn, Jaden, you make good burgers." I muttered, digging into mine. Bree nodded.

"I'm glad, too. This mean I'll never have to be the cook in the family." She smirked. Jaden chuckled.

"Thank God." He muttered, much to her annoyance. "I'm sorry, darling, but we both know that the only person worse in the kitchen than you is my sister."

"Where is Calla, anyway?" I questioned. "Usually, she's the first one down here on burger night."

"She and Chase went out on a date." Adam answered for Jaden as he took a seat next to us, carrying a tray of food. "They left, like, twenty minutes ago."

"Oh, right." I nodded, remembering that Chase had asked me to help Adam and Bree keep an eye on the other students. "I totally spaced."

"It's no big deal." Jaden shrugged. "I mean, how much trouble can the students get into, anyway?"

"Exactly." Adam agreed before looking around the table. "Hey, where's the ketchup?"

"I think Bob stole our bottle. Said something about a ketchup fight with Spin." Bree shrugged. Jaden looked at her.

"And you didn't stop them?" He asked. She frowned.

"Hey, I figured it was best to stay out of it, or I'd be the one covered in ketchup." She defended herself.

"Fair point." Jaden agreed. I pushed myself out of my seat.

"I'll get a spare bottle from the kitchens." I told Adam. "That way I can grab my desert at the same time."

"It's lemon meringue pie, by the way." Jaden offered. I grinned and headed back into the kitchens area.

As it turns out, I wasn't the only one there. One of the other students, a tall girl wearing a red level uniform was digging through one of the kitchen drawers, her long, curly blond hair swept over her shoulder so it wouldn't be in the way. I recognized her immediately.

I cleared my throat, getting her attention. "Katherine, what are you doing? Students aren't allowed back here."

She turned my way, crossing her arms. "Last I checked, you were a student too. Now, ain't that a little hypocritical of you?"

"I'm getting ketchup, with Jaden's permission." I reminded her. She nodded.

"Fair enough. Well, Jaden hired me to be his cooking assistant, and I was lookin' for a fork." To prove her point, she held up a fork.

"What happened to the original one?" I asked, confused. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Spin and Bob." She replied. "But I didn't ask what they were up to."

"Didn't want to get in trouble?" I guessed.

"Didn't wanna waste my time." She corrected. "I can get in enough trouble on my own, thank you very much."

"Have fun with that." I replied, grabbing a ketchup bottle off the shelf.

"Say, where are the mentors? Calla and her boy, Chase, I mean." Katherine inquired, leaning on the counter, her hazel eyes looking at me curiously. "Heard they're on a date."

"Yeah, some street festival back in Mission Creek." I shrugged. "Chase usually isn't into that kind of stuff, but Calla loves it. Food stands, art sales, jewellery, a horse show, a concert…"

"There's a horse show?" Katherine looked at me. "At this street festival?"

"Yeah. It's actually pretty cool. They'll have fun." I replied. She nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I'll see you around, Katherine."

"See ya." She replied, walking out the other way to join a couple of the other students at their table. I went back to my own seat and handed Adam the ketchup. Bree hummed thoughtfully.

"Hey, that was Katherine, right?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, grabbing my fork.

"She's kind of pretty." Bree mentioned. "Are you guys friends?"

I stared at her. "You are worse than my mother." I accused. "So, before Bree tries to set me up with anyone, do we have any idea what we're going to do with the students tonight?"

** Calla's POV **

"Have I told you how absolutely amazing you are?" I glanced at Chase, then back at the street. It was Mission Creek's Annual Street Festival, and the streets were lines with little displays. Venders were selling trinkets and souvenirs, there were food stands and games everywhere, and people running around all over the place. We were only at the entrance, but from here I could see the stage they were going to use for the concert, the horse show arena, and even… "Is that a Ferris Wheel?"

"Yeah, I think it is." Chase chuckled.

"I'd totally forgotten that this was happening this weekend." I grinned. "Jaden and I used to go every year. Well, until he joined the football team and always ended up having a tournament the same weekend."

"Well, I knew you liked this kind of thing, so I figured we could waste a couple of hours here." Chase replied. I turned around and kissed him deeply, not releasing his hands. He smiled after I pulled away. "I take it you like it?"

"I love you." I beamed at him before I began to pull him down the street, excited. We hadn't been able to do anything together, just the two of us, for a long time and I wasn't going to waste a moment of it. Because with our luck, we'd probably get a mission alert in a half hour or something.

** S-1's POV **

"Hey S-1!" I looked up from my book when I heard Kieran calling my name. It was just after dinner, so everyone was relaxing in their usual ways, which for me was reading a good book in the lounge area. I bookmarked my place as Kieran ran up to me, a bright grin on the boy's face.

"Oh, hey Kieran." I smiled back at him. "What's up?"

"How would you like to do something tonight?" He inquired. I frowned, confused.

"You mean, aside from the Academy-wide game of capture the flag that Leo and Adam are planning?" I asked. Kieran nodded.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could…you know, go out." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, smiling shyly.

"Go out?" I repeated. He nodded, looking at me hesitantly. "Like on a date?"

"Uh, yeah." He nodded, looking a little nervous. I blinked in surprise. I'd known that he'd at least had a crush on me since I came to the island a couple of months ago (and to be honest, the feelings were mutual) but I hadn't expected him to ask me out. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want-"

"Yes." I interrupted him. He stopped short.

"Yes?" He repeated. I nodded, smiling.

"I'd love to go on a date with you." I replied, much to his relief. I leaned forward in my chair, curious. "So, do we have plans, or are we winging it?"

"I heard Chase talking about a street festival earlier. With the capture the flag thing going on, I doubt anyone will notice that we're gone, so long as we're back before lights out." He offered. I smiled.

"I've never been to a street festival. Or even a fair, to be honest." I admitted. He grinned.

"Well, there's a first time for everything." He commented. I nodded.

"True. So, are we going now, or do we wait until the capture the flag game starts? Leo said they weren't going to start until seven." I mentioned.

"Let's go now, before someone has the brilliant idea of hiding their flag in the hydroloop or something." Kieran decided, holding out his hand. Grinning, I took it and followed him to the dorm rooms. We both got changed into regular clothes quickly and snuck towards the hydroloop tunnel. To my surprise, we weren't the only ones there.

"Katherine? Logan?" I exclaimed, noticing the two trying to sneak onto the hydroloop. Both of them were red-level students like me, so I couldn't think of a reason why they too were in regular clothing. "What are you doing here?"

"We're going to the festival." Logan replied brightly. Katherine looked at him, annoyed.

"You ain't supposed to tell 'em!" She snapped. He looked surprised.

"Oh, I thought we just we're not supposed to tell the mentors." He told her, apologetically.

"Well, you certainly don't tell Mr. Teacher's Pet over here." She growled, gesturing at Kieran.

"I'm not a teacher's pet!" He protested.

"Keep tellin' yourself that, darling." Katherine rolled her eyes. "Now, ya gonna bust us, or are ya gonna be a doll and keep your trap shut?"

"Hey, chill. We're going to the festival too." I assured her. She raised an eyebrow at that.

"Really?" She didn't sound convinced. "How'd ya find out about the festival anyways?"

"Overheard Chase talking to Adam." Kieran shrugged. "You?"

"Leo." She replied. "Kid told me all about it."

"Wonderful." Kieran muttered. "There go our plans."

"What? No." I shook my head. "We can all go, then split up when we get there. It'll be a big place – we probably won't even see each other."

"Perfect." Logan grinned.

"I suppose." Katherine sighed before looking at the hydroloop. "So, we going or what?"

Twenty minutes later, we were all standing at the entrance of the festival, marvelling at how many people were here. The sun had just started to set, casting a soft orange glow over the entire street. They'd be turning on lights soon, but for now, it was beautiful.

"Why don't we meet back here at ten?" Logan suggested. "That way we'll all have our time to ourselves, but we'll be able to make sure that everyone gets home alright."

"Good idea." I agreed before pulling on Kieran's hand. "Come on – I want to see if we can get on that Ferris Wheel."

"I'll catch y'all later." Katherine called, disappearing into the crowd, Logan not far behind her.

** Leo's POV **

"Where did they put that flag?" I muttered, looking around the room. In an attempt to have a little fun with the students, we'd separated the Academy into four separate teams (with either me, Adam, Bree, or Jaden as captain) to play a little Capture the Flag. Adam's team was already out, and Bree and Jaden's teams were gunning for each other, so I had sent my guys out to look for their flags while they were distracted.

I glanced around the room, trying to find any hiding spots. It was pretty bare though, the only thing of interest being the hydroloop. The hydroloop, huh…maybe…

"MISS?" I called, knowing that Calla's AI was programmed to respond.

" _Yes, Mister Leo?"_  As expected, MISS responded instantly.

"Who was the last person in the hydroloop?" I questioned. Aside from Calla and Chase, no one should have been in there since dinner, so if anyone had gone in, they must have done so to hide their flag.

" _Misters Kieran and Logan, along with Misses S-1 and Katherine."_  MISS replied. I nodded, grinning. Yep, totally got their flag.

"And who's team are they on?" I asked, opening the hydroloop doors to search the tunnel.

" _They are not on any of the teams, Mister Leo. They left before the game started."_  MISS replied.

"What? Why?" I demanded, confused. Instead of responding verbally, MISS used the screen on the wall to show me what happened.

" _Katherine? Logan?" Kieran sounded surprised as he and S-1 walked up to the hydroloop, holding hands. All four red-levelled looked at each other. "What are you doing?"_

" _We're going to the festival." Logan told them, smiling brightly._

That was all that MISS showed me, the screen shutting off directly after Logan's last sentence.

"They left?" I demanded.

" _Yes, they did, Mister Leo."_  MISS replied. I sighed.

"Which means I have to go get them back ASAP before they run into Calla and Chase. Otherwise, we'll get in trouble for losing students." I muttered. "Fine. Leo to the rescue."

** Calla's POV **

"Chase, you have to try this." I grinned, holding out some hot wings to him. "I don't know what's in the sauce, but I wish Jaden could learn a thing or two from this guy."

"No thanks. Enjoy them." Chase replied, smiling. It was actually a pretty cool evening. Instead of paying for a full dinner at some restaurant, we were just grabbing samples from different venders and comparing the tastes (Chase thought the enchiladas from the Mexican guy were better, but nothing beats Texas hot wings). We'd played a couple of games already, and as a result, there was a pink monkey held under my arm. I figured I'd give it to Glitch as a new chew toy so he'd stop stealing everyone's shoes. One of my favourite bands, Marianas Trench, were set to play in an hour, so we'd gotten tickets for them. "So, you having fun?"

"So much." I agreed. "Man, I wish there could be a festival like this every day."

"You'd get bored." Chase told me.

"Hells no. I'd never leave." I objected, laughing as he put his arm around me.

"Well, it's once a year, so we'll come back next year." Chase told me.

"Definitely." I agreed, leading the way towards yet another food stand. "If we aren't busy."

"We'll make sure we're not busy." Chase offered. I chuckled lightly.

"We can't stop the world from turning, babe." I reminded him, pulling him a little closer. "Chances are a mission will come up. It's happened before."

"Name one time that a mission interrupted our plans." Chase objected. I opened my mouth to respond, but he stopped me. "On second thought, scratch that. You're right."

"Of course, I'm always right." I teased. He laughed good naturedly. "But seriously though, we needed this."

"A festival?" He chuckled. I rolled my eyes.

"No. I mean a normal date. Just two people in love, hanging out and having fun." I replied. "With no crazy weird stuff in the middle."

"What are you talking about? We do that all the time." He objected. I looked at him seriously.

"Name one day in the past few months where we've been able to spend quality time together without bionics getting in the way." I said. "Chase, we live and work at the Bionic Academy. Normal doesn't happen often. In fact, normal is rare for us."

"I thought you liked abnormal." He reminded me.

"I do, but…it gets in the way, a lot." I mentioned. He looked at me, a little hurt.

"It's not my fault, Calla." He murmured. "And we're both trying-"

"I know." I stopped him there, putting the hand that wasn't holding his on his chest. "I know, baby, and I don't blame you. I love the crazy most of the time, and I'm proud of you and what you do with your bionics, and no matter how many times they complicate our relationship, I'm going to stick around. All I meant was that we need to have some normal days amongst the crazy ones, or I'm going to go mental."

"Alright." Chase nodded. "And what do you consider a 'normal' day?"

"A normal day is a day without missions, without near death experiences, without classes, and without anything exploding or imploding or covering me in some sort of slime or goo." I replied. He chuckled at that. "And a day where we can spend it together. Just the two of us."

"Okay, fair enough. All of those I can agree with." He agreed, leaning in to kiss me. Just as his lips touched mine, we heard shouting. Looking around in confusion, we noticed a crowd forming nearby. Not a happy crowd though, judging by the angry and frustrated sounds coming from the center of it.

"Should we…" Chase looked at me.

"Nah, probably just some idiots messing around." I brushed it off until I heard a familiar voice.

"C'mon man! It was an accident!"

Chase and I exchanged looks, both of us recognizing the voice. "And here we go again." I muttered before following my boyfriend into the crowd. What we saw was surprising to say the least.

"Look, dude, it was an accident!" A boy with dishevelled black hair exclaimed, trying to back away from a blonde guy wearing a Mission Creek High football jersey. A girl stood behind him, fuming. Her shirt was stained red and brown, presumably from the poutine in her hands. "I didn't mean to, I swear."

"An accident? Well, sorry isn't going to do anything about my shirt!" The girl exclaimed.

Now, most of the time I would walk away, and leave the idiots to their fighting, but unfortunately for Chase and I, we both recognized one of the idiots.

"Logan!" Chase exclaimed, pushing his way through the crowd. The black haired boy glanced at us, a guilty look appearing on his face.

"Chase, Calla, uh…how's date night?" He laughed nervously. The football player looked at us.

"You're friends with this dweeb?" He demanded.

"We…know him." I admitted, looking at Logan. He was one of our students from the Academy. He was a red level, one of our strongest, but also one of our most naïve students as well.

"Well, you might want to keep him out of trouble. He just ruined my girlfriend's shirt." The guy snapped.

"We'll be sure to do that…Chris, is it?" I asked. He smirked, then nodded.

"You've heard of me." He sounded pretty pleased by that. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't be so vain. You're name's on the back of your jersey." I replied. "As for your shirt, find a good stain remover and it'll be fine."

"Not good enough." The girl argued. Chase stepped forward, pulling a twenty out of his wallet.

"Why don't you go buy yourself another poutine and we'll forget this ever happened, alright?" He suggested. Chris looked like he was about to argue, but his girlfriend whispered something in his ear. She then smiled and accepted the money.

"Thanks, Chase, and uh, we're cool." She assured us, quickly pulling Chris out of there. Chase hummed in surprise.

"I didn't expect that to be so easy." He muttered. I rolled my eyes.

"She obviously recognized you as a bionic hero, and she didn't want her boyfriend starting a fight he couldn't win." I told him before looking at Logan. "Let's go."

"I can explain-" The kid started to explain. I didn't listen to him, instead walking away from the slowly dispersing crowd and heading towards a bench near the washrooms. Chase and I waited for Logan to sit down before we started demanding answers.

"What are you doing here?" Chase demanded.

"Heard there was a festival and we thought it'd be fun." He shrugged. "But I swear, I didn't mean to knock that girl's food over, or stain her shirt."

"Who told you about the festival?" I questioned. He stopped short, looking for an answer.

"I heard Leo mention it to Adam." He lied. I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, then who else is with you?" I inquired.

"No one." He lied. Chase rolled his eyes.

"You said we thought it would be fun." He reminded the younger boy. "Who's we?"

"Uh…" Logan tried to think of a good lie, but didn't get the chance to say anything.

"Kieran, S-1, and Katherine." I glanced over my shoulder to see Leo approach us. "They snuck out about an hour ago."

"An hour ago?" Chase demanded. "Why didn't you come get us?"

"One, you guys were on a date, so I figured it would be rude." Leo retorted. "And two, I only found out a little while ago."

"How'd you find out? Did someone else try to sneak out?" I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"It was just the four of us." Logan assured me.

"Wasn't talking to you, kid." I muttered. Leo shook his head.

"No, he's telling the truth. MISS ratted them out." He explained.

"Stupid MISS." Logan muttered, clearly annoyed. I gave him a look.

"Alright, now we just have to find S-1, Kieran, and Katherine before they get into any trouble." Chase decided.

"But where are we going to find them?" Leo questioned. "It took me nearly twenty minutes just to find Logan."

"We found Logan." I reminded him.

"Yes, but I found you after you found him, so technically, I found him too." The shorter boy replied. "Now, any ideas of where to start looking?"

We all stopped, getting an idea, before turning to Logan. The red levelled student looked up at us innocently. "What?"

** S-1's POV **

"We are so cliché." I laughed lightly. At my own request, Kieran and I had decided to check out the Ferris Wheel after grabbing something to eat. It had stopped once again, leaving us at the one o'clock position.

"Yeah, but Ferris Wheels are cool clichés." Kieran joked, grabbing a fry out of my poutine. "Oh, hey, look!"

Glancing in the direction in which he was pointing in, I saw a large white building with a blue and orange sign on the front. "Is that a dog?" I muttered, trying to figure out what the orange symbol was.

"A dingo, actually." Kieran replied. "That's Mission Creek High. I went to school there for nearly a full school year before coming to the Academy."

"Oh, right. Chase mentioned that he didn't like you when you started." I laughed. Kieran rolled his eyes.

"Only because he thought I was trying to make a move on Calla." He replied.

"Were you?" I asked, curious. He gave me a look. "Hey, I won't be jealous or anything."

"No, I wasn't. Can't a guy be friends with a girl without trying to get in her…you know what? Never mind." He shook his head. "I know that there's a very clever response waiting for me if I finish that sentence."

"Smart boy." I chuckled. "Hey, I have a question for you, but it's a little weird."

"I love weird." Kieran smirked.

"Did you know any Charlottes when you went there?" I inquired. Kieran frowned, obviously a little caught off guard.

"Uh, Charlotte Verdreaux. She was in the grade below me, but we had spare at the same time." He replied. "Why?"

"Leo's been helping me pick a name, and he was thinking Charlotte." I explained. Kieran chuckled and shook his head.

"No. You're not a Charlotte." He told me. I frowned.

"And why not?" I questioned.

"Because when I think of Charlottes, I think of innocent little girls with ribbons in their hair. Sweet girls with a lot of heart, sure, but that's not you. You're…cool, calm, collected. Kinda badass." Kieran told me. I smirked. Badass. I liked that. "What else have you got?"

"Madeline, Erica, Allysa, Taylor, Julia-" He stopped me there.

"What was that last one? Before Julia?" He asked.

"Taylor." Personally, I liked it, but I wanted to know what he thought. He smirked.

"Taylor." He hummed, looking at me with his sweet hazel eyes. "I like it. It suits you."

"Taylor." I mused as the Ferris Wheel. "You're right – it's a good name. It's my name. I'm Taylor."

"Well, Taylor," Kieran smirked, "what did you think of date night?"

"I think I'm enjoying it a lot more than she is." I replied, smiling guiltily as the Ferris Wheel came to a stop. Calla was standing at the entrance, glaring daggers at us.

"Busted." Kieran sucked in a breath, looking worried.

"But totally worth it." I smiled at him, taking his hand. He smiled back before glancing at the still angry Calla.

** Leo's POV **

"Seriously, how hard is it to find them?" I muttered, looking around. Logan had directed Calla in the direction of the Ferris Wheel, where she hoped to find Kieran and/or S-1, but Katherine hadn't given any signs of where she was going, so Chase and I were spread out around the fair, trying to catch sight of her. Walking around, I tried to think of whether or not she would check out these attractions. A group of clothing vendors…probably not. A hot dog eating contest? Well, she did like food…a horse show…

"There!" I muttered to myself, remembering her interest in it earlier. On that hunch, I walked over to the arena. They – whoever was running this crazy festival – had just put up barriers around the softball field that was a few feet away from the road so that we could have a proper arena for the horse show. Riders were riding their horses around the edges of the arena, while trainers set up those high jump things in the middle.

As expected, it didn't take me long to find Katherine once I knew where to look. I found her at the far end of the arena, talking to one of the trainers while stroking the nose of a completely black horse. As I got closer, I noticed the look of pure adoration in Katherine's hazel eyes. "There you are." I said loudly, getting Katherine and the trainer's attention.

"Leo?" Katherine looked startled to see me. "What are you doin' here?"

"Looking for you." I told her before glancing at the horse. "Wow. She's beautiful."

"Thank you." The trainer smiled at me with her pearly whites. "Her name's Nigrum. Mine's Angie."

"Nice to meet you. She is beautiful. An American Warmblood, right?" I asked. Both Angie and Katherine looked at me, surprise. "Hey, this isn't just a pretty face. I know things."

"Yeah, she is. Sorry, I just don't know many teenage boys who know anything about horses." Angie apologized. I shrugged.

"My girlfriend…my ex-girlfriend," I corrected myself, "lived on a ranch. She knew everything about horses and loved to ride."

"Really?" Angie smiled before glancing over her shoulder. "Oh, darn. I have to go. But it was really nice to meet you both."

"See ya." "Bye." We said goodbye before I turned to Katherine. "You snuck out."

"Your last girl was a horse-lover?" Katherine questioned, ignoring my comment.

"Yeah, Janelle adored them." I muttered. "You snuck out."

"I wanted to catch a show." Katherine shrugged.

"You can't just sneak out whenever you want." I told her, annoyed.

"I already did." She pointed out. I gave her a look. "Well, it ain't fair."

"What isn't fair? That you're not allowed to sneak out of the Academy without permission?" I demanded.

"The only time any of us leave the Academy is for Mister Davenport's field trips, and believe me, they ain't worth it." She protested. "We wanna have a bit o' fun every once in a while too."

"You can't just…I hate that you're right." I muttered, knowing that she was. "Look, why don't I talk to Big D and see if he'll allow more field trips that are for fun?"

"And ones that ain't about him?" Katherine challenged.

"Yeah, we'll try and keep the ones to the Davenport Museum to a minimum." I promised. "But you need to let one of the mentors know where you're going. Something could go wrong, or we could need you and we won't know where to look."

"Suppose that's fairer." Katherine muttered.

"More fair." I corrected. She stared at me like I'd just grown two heads. "Never mind."

"So…" Katherine hummed. "Any chance we can stay a bit longer…or more long?" She added, a mischievous look on her face.

"Smart Alec." I accused, earning a laugh. "And I suppose it wouldn't hurt to watch the competition before we go find Calla, Chase, Kieran, S-1, and Logan."

Katherine beamed at me, bright and happy before glancing back at the arena. "That Janelle girl of yours…she had good taste."

"In animal obsessions?" I questioned. Katherine didn't answer, but her smirk grew slightly.

** Calla's POV **

"There you guys are." I exclaimed as Katherine and Leo ran towards us. "Where were you?"

"Horse show." Leo explained.

"Sorry, Calla." Katherine didn't look the slightest but sorry. "Didn't mean to interrupt your date."

"Yeah, not very believable." Chase commented. "You guys are in so much trouble."

"Right." Katherine mumbled, getting into the hydroloop next to Logan. Leo got in alongside them and the hydroloop disappeared into the distance. Chase and I would have gone with them, but the hydroloop could only fit six at a time, and I wanted another moment of peace before going to deal with that.

"I can't believe they did that. Seriously, what were they thinking? Sneaking out? They knew they'd get in trouble." Chase muttered. I laughed slightly, a weird thought coming to mind. "What?"

"It's just…sometimes, I swear we're like parents at the Academy." I replied. Chase chuckled.

"With Adam and Bree being the cool aunt and uncle?" He questioned. I nodded, still smiling.

"Don't forget about Uncle Leo, or eccentric Great Uncle Douglas." I added, laughing. He chuckled.

"You are so right." He agreed. He sighed. "There goes our normal night, right?"

"Well, nothing's exploded, so I still think it was perfect." I replied, kissing him on the lips. I only pulled away when the hydroloop slowed to a stop at the terminal next to us. "Now, c'mon. Before we have any more runaways."


	24. On The Edge

** Calla's POV **

"Yeah, mom." I agreed, walking down the hall, my phone pressed up against my ear. "Of course we'll be there."

" _It's not going to hurt you to spend some time on the mainland with your family."_  I guess my mother had noticed the disappointment in my tone.

"But mom, what if there's a mission while we're away?" I protested. "I'm needed here."

" _I am sure Chase and his siblings can handle it without you."_  My mother assured me.  _"The world's not going to end because you're not at the Academy."_

"Fine." I agreed.

" _Good."_ Mom sounded pleased. " _And remind your brother please. God knows he'll forget and won't remember until it's too late for him to show up."_

"I will tell him." I promised, heading into the main classroom. Adam, Bree, Chase, and Jaden were hanging around the main desk, laughing at some joke Adam had made. "I gotta go. Love you."

" _Love you too."_  Mom replied before hanging up. I headed over to the guys.

"Hey, who was on the phone?" Chase asked curiously as I put the device back into my pocket.

"My mother." I replied before looking at Jaden. "She wants us home for Thanksgiving."

"I know. Mom told me. I'm cooking dinner." Jaden informed me. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, well she asked me to remind you because you always forget this sort of thing." I replied. He gave me a harsh look, a little annoyed with me.

"Hey guys." We looked up to see Leo and S-1 walking towards us.

"Hey, what's up?" Jaden inquired, noticing the happy look on S-1's face.

"It took a while, but we finally came up with S-1's new name." Leo announced.

"We went through hundreds before I came up with the perfect one last night." S-1 explained.

"Last night, at the carnival?" I confirmed, giving her a look. She nodded, smiling a little guiltily, knowing I was still a little peeved that she, Kieran, Logan, and Katherine had interrupted my and Chase's date night. "Alright, what is it?"

"Charlotte." "Taylor." Leo and S-1 replied at the same time. They both looked at each other in surprise.

"Right, Taylor." Leo agreed, sounding a little disappointed. "My second choice."

"I like it." Bree offered.

"Yeah, it suits you." I agreed.

"Great name." Chase added. Adam, however, just shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter to me. I didn't remember your other name, and I'm not going to remember this one either." S-1…Sorry, Taylor gave him a look, but didn't comment on his response.

"Morning Mr. Davenport." I greeted as the man walked up to us, smiling cheerfully.

"Hey guys." He nodded at us. "I have some very exciting news."

"You're finally eligible for senior citizen discounts?" Adam guessed.

"No." Mr. Davenport looked slightly offended. "Maybe. I don't want to talk about it. Look," he continued, "the President called and he is honouring you guys with a prestigious award for completing mission one thousand."

Everyone grinned at that. "That's awesome!" Taylor exclaimed. "Congratulations guys!"

"Thanks, but technically, if you count all the missions where our bionics were still a secret, the number's actually 2,604." He grinned. "But who's counting?"

"You are. That's all you do is count!" Bree exclaimed.

"I do not." Chase protested. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Chase, exactly how long have you known me?" I questioned.

"Four years, eleven months, and twelve days." He replied instantly. "As for the hours-"

"No, that's okay, honey. I think you proved my point." I assured him.

"This is going to be great." Leo grinned, getting back on topic. "It's about time I got honoured for something. So, when is this little shindig?"

"Uh, in a couple of weeks." Mr. Davenport replied. "There's going to be a big fancy ceremony on the mainland, but the President's only honouring the original team: Adam, Bree, and Chase."

"What?" Leo looked surprised. "How could he do that? I go on missions with them all the time."

"I'm sure when they hand out awards for completing thirty-two and half missions, you'll get yours." Mr. Davenport told him step-son before heading off to do some work or something.

"It's actually thirty-one and a half." Chase informed Leo. "But who's counting?"

Leo gave him a death glare, which Chase was completely oblivious to. I rolled my eyes and looked at Leo and Taylor.

"Alright, you guys have training, don't you?" I reminded them. Taylor nodded.

"Right. We kinda forgot." She admitted. I nodded.

"I figured. Training room, now." I gestured at the room and they walked away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to Mr. Davenport about one of my inventions."

The morning went by relatively fast. The students did their training, I got some work done, the guys taught some classes.

"Hey Adam." I greeted, walking down into the main classroom. He, along with some of his students – George, Emmett, Isaac, Paul, Jasper, and Daniel – were hanging around, presumably working on their assignment.

"Oh, hey Calla." Adam grinned at me.

"So, how's the fire prevention training going?" I inquired, curious. Adam stared at me.

"Wait, it's supposed to be fire PREVENTION?" he demanded. Suddenly, the fire alarm started going off, smoke floating out from one of the halls. "Ooh. Well, it's too late to prevent that one."

"Adam!" Chase scolded as he and Bree walked up behind me. He smiled guiltily before looking at his guys.

"Could you guys go put that fire out and prevent the other fifteen we set?" He requested. They all nodded and ran off, hopefully able to stop the fires before they got out of control.

"Hey guys!" I glanced over my shoulder as Logan jogged up to us. "Leo just did something super amazing!"

Confused, we followed the student into the training area. A bunch of the students were just hanging out, including Kieran, Katherine, Taylor, and Leo – all wearing their red level uniforms. To my surprise, Taylor and Leo were holding hands, smiles on their faces.

"Wait, I thought Taylor was with Kieran." I frowned, confused.

"I am." Taylor assured me.

"Then why are you…" Bree gestured at their hands.

"We found a new ability." Leo explained. "Check this out."

They both stepped back, still holding the other's hand. A strange glow surrounded their hands, blue electricity flying between their wrists. After a couple of seconds, Leo smirked and said, "Now!"

They threw their hands apart and out, directing the ball of light at the main screen on the wall. It hit the screen, electric sparks going across it before the entire Academy went dark, all the lights going off at once.

"Aw man! Now I can't see what the new ability is!" Adam protested from somewhere to my left.

"MISS, what's going on with the lights?" I demanded. Silence. "MISS? Leo, what did you guys do?"

"That was our new ability." I heard Leo say proudly.

"Well, do you have another that turns you into a nightlight?" Adam questioned.

"Hold on." Chase announced loudly. "I'll turn the back-up systems online."

He turned on his tablet, the blue glow illuminating his face as he pressed a few buttons. Within seconds, we had light once more.

"We accidently found it when we locked hands during combat training." Leo explained. Taylor laughed.

"Technically, I was helping him off the floor after I body slammed him." She added.

"Body slam." Leo scoffed. "It was more like a somersault."

"You want me to show them?" Taylor questioned.

"No, no. We're good." Leo replied quickly before looking at us. "So, isn't our new ability cool?" When we lock hands, our laser spheres combine to create one large sphere that's so powerful it sends out an electromagnetic pulse."

"EMPs disable any piece of electrical technology that they touch." Taylor explained.

"Then how come Chase's tablet worked?" Adam asked, confused.

"It was already off, so the EMP didn't affect it the same. I mean, there's a chance that the EMP will affect disabled technology, but it's not very high." I explained quickly. Logan grinned.

"Dude, that was incredible." He told Leo as Taylor walked over to sit by Kieran. "One day I'm going to be just like you."

"Thank you, son. Now move along." Leo told him. Logan grinned and we all stared at him.

"No offense, Logan, but when did Leo become your hero?" Bree questioned.

"Are you kidding?" Logan demanded. "Talk about an underdog. He was just a regular guy, but all of a sudden he became an inspiration to the whole world!"

"That is my story." Leo grinned proudly. I rolled my eyes, figuring that Leo had exaggerated all the stories that he told Logan.

"And I love how he didn't let his scrawny body and inferior skill set stop him from-" Logan continued, only to be cut off by Leo.

"We got it, Logan." He interrupted. Chase sighed.

"I'm a little worried about this new ability." He admitted, looking at Leo seriously. "EMPs are very, very dangerous."

"But if we had this when Krane was around, we could have shut down his Triton app in a second." Leo pointed out.

"It doesn't matter." Chase shook his head. "It's still dangerous. Don't use it again until we've had time to study it in a controlled environment."

"C'mon Chase." Leo began.

"No." My boyfriend ordered.

"If we just-" Leo continued.

"You heard me!" Chase snapped. "No more EMPs!"

With a frustrated sigh, he walked away. "Boo!" Logan called, barely loud enough to hear. Nonetheless, Chase did hear him and sent him a glare. Instead of apologizing, Logan looked at me.

"Well, what do you think?" He questioned, catching me off guard.

"What?" I stared at him.

"Do you think they should be allowed to use the ability or not?" He asked. Everyone looked at me, including Chase. I sighed.

"I'm sorry Leo, but Chase has a point. It is dangerous and people could get hurt."

"Thanks for nothing." Logan mumbled.

"Hey." I stopped him. "This doesn't even concern you, not really. So you can stop. Got it?"

"Yes m'am." Logan muttered. Chase walked away then and I looked at the group.

"Alright, back to work!" I exclaimed. Adam nodded and looked at his group of students.

"Alright guys. Next up is CPR training." He informed them. "Oh, wait. CPR prevention."

He walked out with his friends, Bree following to make sure they didn't prevent anyone from performing CPR, or whatever the heck Adam thought CPR prevention meant. Kieran looked at me.

"How could you not be on board with this?" He questioned. "You love EMPs."

"Look, if one mentor says no, we all say no. That's how this works." I told them, looking directly at Logan. "You can't go behind a mentor's back and ask another just because you disagree with their decision."

"It wasn't behind his back. He was right there." Logan protested.

"Doesn't matter. You're not to do that again, am I clear?" I questioned. He nodded. "Good. Now, Leo, here's what you're going to do. You're not going to use your ability yet, but you're going to wait until no one's around and try to talk Chase again."

"You think that's going to work?" Leo questioned. I nodded.

"It might. Just talk to him one on one and see if you can work something out." I told him. "But until then, do as he says, okay?"

"Fine." He agreed.

"Alright. I'll see you guys later." I told them before walking off to find Chase.

** Leo's POV **

"I hate this." I complained. "I've worked so hard to prove myself, but it doesn't matter. They're always going to see me as their little brother who's barely bionic."

"If it make ya feel better, I think the ability's wicked." Katherine offered. Taylor nodded.

"Same here." She agreed.

"They're just jealous." Logan told me. Kieran frowned.

"Of what?" He questioned.

"They're jealous because they were born perfect and Leo was born a teeny-tiny weakling who-" I sent Logan a glare.

"Shut it!" I hissed, cutting him off. "I'm so sick of them not taking me seriously. It's time to prove I'm as much a bionic hero as they are."

"I hear ya." Katherine grinned.

"We've got your back." Taylor agreed.

"We do?" Kieran looked surprised.

"Yes, we do." Taylor looked at him sternly, but Katherine shrugged.

"Hey, if the teacher's pet rather side with the mentors over his friend…" She hummed thoughtfully.

"I'm not a teacher's pet!" Kieran snapped. "And of course I'm in."

"Same here." Logan agreed.

"Thanks guys." I grinned. "It means a lot."

I fist-bumped Taylor, only for sparks to fly and the Academy's lights shut off, leaving all of us in the darkness.

"Yeah, you guys gotta stop doing that." Kieran sighed.

** Calla's POV **

"We've really been on a thousand missions?" Adam asked, looking at us. Since we had a break between classes, we were all hanging out in the main classroom, just chilling while we could. I nodded in answer to Adam's questioned, smiling proudly from my spot next to Chase. "Huh. Felt more like six."

"Nope. It was way more than that." Chase told him. "And I remember all of them. Literally – they're all backed up on my hard-drive."

"Maybe you should clear a few out." Bree suggested. "You know, free up some space to add some personality, a sense of humour…you know, a likeable trait."

"He can't." I protested teasingly. "He needs that room for his giant ego."

"Traitor." Chase grumbled accusingly, wrapping his arms around my waist as Katherine, Taylor, Leo, Logan, and Kieran walked into the room. "Hey Leo.:

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child." Leo snapped, much to our surprise. Geez, what was his problem?

"All he said was 'hey Leo'." I pointed out, confused. He paused.

"Well I detected a tone." He replied shortly. Bree frowned at him.

"What's up with you?" She questioned.

"I'll tell you what's up with me. I'm tired of everyone treating me like some non-existent bionic hero." He told us, clearly upset by this.

"Hey, just because it's true doesn't mean you have to take it personally." Adam told replied.

"Oh really? Well, guess what? We're starting our own team." He informed us. We all exchanged amused looks, but he didn't notice. "That's right. You're looking at the next generation of bionic superhumans."

They all posed, their hands on their hips and their backs facing the north. Except for Logan, who had clearly posed the wrong way, so instead of facing Kieran's back, he was right in Leo's face. "Logan! It's the other way, like we rehearsed."

"Oh, right." The kid turned around quickly, trying to act like his mistake had never happened.

"Next generation?" I questioned, looking at them. "Dudes, you're only a couple of years younger than us."

"And, uh, who might be the leader of this new bionic team?" Chase mused, getting to his feet.

"You're lookin' at him." Katherine replied, jerking her head at Leo. Chase chuckled.

"Are you kidding me? Leo?" He laughed. Leo pointed at Chase, looking at me.

"You see, right there! There's that tone!" He accused. I shrugged, knowing that Chase was being kinda mean.

"Look, you don't just become a leader by saying you're a leader." Chase pointed out. "It takes years of mission experience."

"You named yourself mission leader when you were fourteen!" Leo protested.

"Wrong! I was twelve!" Chase corrected. "Good thing someone around here counts."

"Chase." I warned softly, but he ignored me.

"You're not ready." He told Leo before walking away.

"Oh yes I am!" Leo shouted after him, even though my boyfriend was ignoring him. "And I'm going to prove to you that I am ready!"

"Sold!" Logan exclaimed, raising his hand.

"You were already on board." Taylor pointed out.

"And then he sold me again." Logan defended himself. "He's that good."

"Okay, hold on." Bree stopped them. "Logan worships you, Taylor wants to use the EMP ability, and Katherine likes to make trouble, so I get why they're on board. But Kieran, why are you apart of this?"

"I know. I'm surprised teacher's pet here agreed." Katherine snickered. Kieran glared at her.

"Stop calling me that!" He snapped before looking at us. "I think Chase is being unfair about this. So long as we're careful, we should be allowed to do what we want."

"And is Mr. Davenport okay with this?" I questioned. As if on cue, Mr. Davenport chose that moment to walk into the room, wearing a grey and black jumpsuit with the Davenport Industries Logo on it.

"Douglas thinks he's going to beat me at my own game. I don't think so!" He was muttering, a crazed look in his eyes.

"Hey, Big D, is it cool if I start my own team?" Leo asked, knowing that the man was distracted by something to do with his brother.

"Yeah Leo, whatever." Mr. Davenport hadn't been listening and just brushed Leo off so he could go back to whatever it was that he was doing. He walked away, muttering something about something being "indestructible" as he left. Leo grinned and looked at his new teammates.

"Victory pose!" He announced. They all posed, most of them facing forwards with their hands on their hips, while Leo posed backwards, facing the hydroloop with his hands up in the air. Logan looked back at Leo in confusion.

"Other way, sir." He murmured quietly. Leo spun on the spot, changing his pose so that he was facing the same direction as his friends.

"Well, this should end well." I commented sarcastically before getting to my feet. I headed out into the halls, not stopping until I reached the mentors' quarters. As I suspected, Chase was sitting on the couch, working on his IPad. He glanced up as I walked into the room.

"Hey." He greeted before looking back at the IPad. I silently walked over to him and sat down on the table across from him, all while not letting him out of my line of sight. He continued working, not even looking up as I stared at him. After a couple of minutes, I plucked the IPad out of his hands and placed it on the table next to me, still not saying anything. "Calla?"

I didn't say anything, choosing instead to give him a harsh look. He sighed. "Alright, what did I do?"

"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning at him. He looked at me, confused.

"Nothing." He replied. "Why?"

"Well, you're kinda being a jerk. Especially to Leo." I mentioned, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I'm not." He objected. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're not?" I questioned. He nodded. "He said he wanted to be a leader, and you laughed in his face and told him that he wasn't capable. Also, you used a tone."

"According to him." Chase added. I looked at him. "Look, he is going to get himself killed."

"Actually, I don't think so. I think he and his team could be a great asset." I replied thoughtfully. "I also think that we should allow them to use their EMP ability."

"Are you insane?" Chase stared at me.

"Conditionally, of course. I want one of us to be present when they train with it, and we'll obviously have to take safety precautions, but I so no reason why we can't make the effort to help them harness this ability."

"It's dangerous. They don't know how to control it properly-" Chase began, only for me to stop him midsentence.

"How are they supposed to learn how to control it if we won't even allow them to use it?" I asked softly. He sighed. "Look, if we're cautious about how we proceed, we can work something out that will help all of us."

"What changed your mind?" Chase eventually questioned. "Earlier, you were on my side."

"Hey, I'm not on anyone's side; I just want to do what's best for everyone." I defended myself. "And this is what I've been thinking all day. But I'm not about to argue with you about this in front of the students. That'd be disrespectful and unprofessional, and if we want their respect, we have to act accordingly."

"Really?" Chase looked at me. I huffed in annoyance.

"I'm not about to start a fight with you in front of our students, Chase." I snapped. He sighed.

"You're mad at me for disagreeing with my brother." He observed.

"I'm mad at you for being unreasonable and for being in a cranky mood all day. You've been snappy and short with everyone, not just Leo, and I want to know why. So, if you could please answer my original question, that would great." I retorted.

"I'm not…" He sighed. "I'm just tired, okay? I didn't sleep great last night, and I got stuck with the early classes, and…I freaking hate Mondays."

"Okay that I can agree with." I murmured. "But you didn't sleep well? Are you coming down with the a cold or something?"

"Probably not." Chase shrugged. "Just one of those days."

"Alright." I sighed, letting the matter drop. He smiled softly, a guilty look on his face.

"I'm sorry if I took it out on you at all." He murmured. I shook my head.

"It wasn't me you took it out on." I told him. "Talk to your brother."

"Alright." He muttered in response. "But if he gives me a tone…"

"Then ignore it." I advised, rolling my eyes. He sighed.

"Alright, fine. You're right." He agreed. "I'll talk to Leo later."

"Okay." I smiled. "Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go find out what Mr. Davenport was freaking out about. Should be interesting."

"Yeah, it should." Chase agreed, kissing me as I got up to leave.

** Leo's POV **

"Faster, faster!" I shouted as Kieran and Taylor carried me into the training center, Logan not far behind with Katherine in his arms.

"Mush, mush!" The blonde haired girl laughed, her arms on Logan's shoulders.

"And stop!" I announced as we reached the center of the room. Taylor looked at me, regaining her breath.

"How is carrying you down an imaginary mountain part of our training?" She questioned.

"Because a good team should be prepared for everything and this could happen." I explained. "You never know when your leader's going to get taken out in battle, or break a bone, or get a case of the dizzies from a light lunch."

"I don't mind carrying you Leo." Kieran offered. I smiled gratefully at him. "I mean, you're like the lightest human being ever."

"Hey! I am not light!" I objected. "With a full bladder, I'm pushing triple digits."

"Okay, just one question." Logan interrupted. "Why am I carrying Katherine?"

"Because he ain't tall enough for all four of us to carry him." Katherine replied, adjusting her grip on Logan's shoulders. "And sorry hon, but I ain't about to lug your arse down any mountain, even imaginary ones."

"Leo, can we take a break?" Taylor exclaimed, looking at me. I nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah. You guys have been working hard; I guess you do deserve a breather." I admitted, slowly climbing out of their grasp. Kieran, Logan, and Taylor fell to their knees, exhausted, while Katherine and I looked down at them.

"Hey Leo!" I stopped, hearing Chase's voice come from behind me.

"Break's over, everybody! Up!" I shouted, not wanting to look like we were slackers or something. They slowly got to their feet, still exhausted. I turned around to see Calla, Chase, Bree, and Adam walking towards us.

"How's your new team doing?" Chase inquired.

"Great." I retorted. "See this right here? This is something we like to call 'Leading and Training'."

"Really? Looks to me like standing and talking." Adam replied.

"We carried him and Katherine all the way down an imaginary mountain." Logan offered, trying to be helpful. The others just frowned at us.

"Why?" Bree asked, confused.

"Because the guy weighs sixty pounds." Kieran replied. "Give him a break."

I sent him an annoyed glare before looking back at the others. "We've been working hard. We found a way to include Logan and make our ability even better! Check this out."

Logan stepped in front of Taylor and I, while Kieran and Katherine (unable to help because their abilities didn't combine as well with ours) stepped back. Taylor and I locked hands and we created the EMP between us, watching as it grew in size and power.

"Leo, I specifically told you not to do that again. It's too dangerous." Chase scolded.

"Leo, knock it off." Calla told me, looking a little peeved.

"No! This isn't too dangerous; it's too awesome!" I grinned, continuing to amp up the power.

"Now, I'm going to use my energy manipulation to guide their EMP towards a target." Logan explained.

"Not yet, junior." I told him. "These kids came for a show. Amp it up, Tay-Tay."

Taylor didn't answer, but I could see her tense and the EMP ball grew bigger and bigger. It started spinning around our hands faster and faster.

"Okay, now I'm going to-"

"Not yet!" I cut Logan off, determined to show my brothers and sister just how powerful we were. Taylor let out a small noise, a cross between a whimper and a groan, but I ignored it.

"Leo, it's too much for her!" Chase shouted at me angrily.

"Oh please." I rolled my eyes. "You're just jealous because your team isn't as powerful as mine!"

"Leo, stop!" Bree exclaimed.

"They're right. It's too much!" Kieran agreed, stepping closer to us as if to interfere.

"Back off!" I snapped, more at the mentors than Kieran. "This is my team and-"

Suddenly, Taylor went flying backwards through the air, the energy coming from the EMP too much for her to handle. She hit the ground with a thud and stopped moving.

"Taylor!" Kieran pushed past me, skidding to his knees next to his girlfriend. We were all close behind, horrified at what had happened.

"Is she alright?" Logan demanded as Calla checked her pulse and breathing.

"She's barely breathing." Calla murmured before looking at Logan and Katherine. "Get help, now!"

I stared at Taylor in horror, guilt eating me up inside. This was my fault. All my fault.

** Calla's POV **

Within the next few hours, word about what had happened to Taylor had spread through the Academy like wildfire. Considering how short a time she'd been with us, it had been a surprise to see so many students drop what they were doing just to stand around and wait for news, but a welcome one nonetheless. Most of the students were anxious, pacing or fidgeting constantly, glancing towards the infirmary doors every so often.

Rio and Katherine were currently trying to calm Kieran down, who had been unable to sit still for even the briefest of moments. Logan was a mess as well, though he hiding out in the training area, not really wanting to talk to anybody.

Chase, Adam, Jaden, and Bree were handling most of the students, keeping them calm and informed, though there wasn't much to tell. In fact, we didn't more than they did.

"Hey." I sat down next to Leo on the stairs. He didn't look up, instead still staring at his shoes as he'd been for the past few hours. "Leo, talk to me."

"It's my fault." He murmured. I sighed.

"Leo-" I began, only for him to interrupt me.

"Look, Calla, I really don't want to talk right now." He murmured, glancing at me briefly. I nodded, completely understanding.

"Okay, tell me when you do." I patted his shoulder gently, before getting up to go see how Kieran was doing. But before I could, the infirmary doors slid open and Mr. Davenport stepped out, a solemn look on his face. Everyone stopped what they were doing when they say him, the room going quiet.

"Mr. Davenport, how's Taylor?" Kieran asked before any of the mentors could.

"The good news is, I flew in the best doctors money could buy, so she's in good hands." He announced.

"How seriously is she hurt?" Bree questioned, looking up at him.

"She's in critical condition. We'll know when she wakes up." Mr. Davenport replied.

"Can we see her?" Kieran asked quietly. Mr. Davenport hesitated.

"Not yet, I'm sorry." He apologized. Kieran nodded thoughtfully, looking really upset.

"Can he wait outside the infirmary until she's allowed visitors?" I questioned, trying to help. Mr. Davenport looked at me.

"The wait could be anywhere between a few hours and a couple of weeks." He warned.

"I can wait." Kieran insisted. Mr. Davenport sighed.

"I'll have someone bring you a sleeping bag." He told the boy, much to Kieran's delight. The students began to disperse, knowing that the first person Taylor would want to see when she woke up would be Kieran. Mr. Davenport started to walk away, but Leo stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Big D. I feel terrible." He told his step-father, his voice thick with emotion.

"You should." Mr. Davenport growled. "What were you thinking, making her max out her abilities?"

"I didn't think she'd get hurt. I just wanted to show everyone what my new team could do." He explained quietly.

"New team? Who said you could have a new team?" Mr. Davenport questioned, confused. Leo frowned.

"You did. I asked you earlier today, when you walked through here." He reminded him.

Realizing that Leo was right, Mr. Davenport let out an annoyed sigh. "Well, you should know better than to bother me when I'm focused on me!"

"Big D-" Leo tried to continue, but Mr. Davenport wasn't in a mood to hear it.

"Look, I have to head back to the infirmary. I'll let you guys know if there's any other news." He told us before leaving. The second he was gone, Chase got up from where he was sitting and started towards Leo.

"Babe, wait. He already feels bad enough." I tried to stop him, but he wasn't in a mood to listen.

"You should have stopped when I told you to." He told Leo, his tone cold. "This just proves that you're not ready to lead your own team."

"I am more than ready!" Leo protested, angrily. "And maybe I wouldn't feel like I need to prove that to you guys if you weren't always looking down on me!"

"Leo, we don't look down on you." Bree told him.

"Yeah, we have total respect for all of your short comings." Adam added, trying to be helpful.

"When are you guys going to stop treating me like I'm an idiot?" Leo demanded.

"Maybe when you stop acting like one." Chase retorted coolly.

"Chase." I placed a hand on his arm, hoping he'd realize that he's pushing things a bit too far.

"You know, maybe quitting your team wasn't enough! Maybe I need to quit being your brother too!" Leo shouted.

"Okay, that's enough!" Jaden didn't tend to raise his voice often, so when he did this time, it made every go quiet. "Look, I think you should both take a step back. Everyone's emotional and freaking about Taylor, so if we're really going to play the blame game, let's wait until we're a little more rational to do so, okay?"

"Whatever." Chase muttered, watching as Leo walked away.

"Don't worry Chase. He can't legally stop being our brother." Adam assured his younger brother. "Trust me; I've looked into it."

** Leo's POV **

"Logan, Katherine?" I called, walking into the training room. Both of them were sitting on the large bench on the edge of the room, talking quietly. They both looked up at me, worry lines on their faces. Even Katherine, who generally didn't worry about anything, seemed pretty concerned. "You hear Big D's news?"

Katherine nodded. "I told him already."

I nodded thoughtfully. "Look, guys, I know this is a stressful time, but the best thing we can do is keep training. Taylor would have wanted that."

Logan stood up, staring at me with wide horrified eyes. "She's dead?"

"No!" I quickly corrected myself. "I mean, if she were here, she would have wanted that."

"Oh, okay." Logan let out a loud sigh of relief. "I'm just so worried about her. The doctors won't even let us see her; that can't be good."

"It's okay to be concerned." I assured him. "I am too. But, we need to be a team now more than ever."

"Tell that to teacher's pet. He's still waitin' outside the infirmary." Katherine mentioned.

"Yeah, I doubt there's anything on earth that could pull him away right now." I replied. "But I'm serious. Let's do this for Taylor." I pointed upwards as I spoke, but Logan got the wrong message again.

"She's in heaven?" He demanded, panicking once again.

"No. Upstairs, in the infirmary." I explained.

"Oh." He nodded thoughtfully.

"Just trust me. She's going to be back before you know it." I promised them.

"You sure?" Katherine looked sceptical.

"Absolutely." I nodded, praying I was right. "Big D has the best doctors in the world taking care of her, not to mention every piece of bionic technology at his disposal. I mean, look at my leg. After it was crushed by the Space Elevator, not only did he fix it, but now it's better than ever."

"You said it locks up when it rains." Katherine pointed out.

"I'm waiting on a part." I snapped, a little annoyed that she'd proven me wrong. She nodded.

"Alright, well I'm gonna go. Adam asked me to help him and Dougie blow up some limo-thing of Mr. Davenports, and you know I love a good explosion."

** Calla's POV **

"Calla, what's up?" Adam and Katherine walked over to me, both looking confused as to why so many students were in the training room.

"Mr. Davenport said he wanted to talk to us." I replied. "He has another update on Taylor."

"I hope it ain't bad news." Katherine murmured.

"I'm sure it's not." I told her, before frowning. "Hey, where were you guys, anyway?"

"Douglas, Katherine and I were trying to make Mr. Davenport's new self-driving limo indestructible." Adam explained.

"Did you succeed?" I inquired. Katherine smirked.

"Absolutely. There ain't nothing that could scratch that thing now." She informed me, smiling. She looked over my shoulder at someone. "Leo!"

I turned to see him run into the room, only to stop when he saw Adam, Bree, and Chase. "Hello."

Adam, deciding to take the lead on this one, stepped forward. "Excuse me sir, now that we're not brothers anymore, what should I call you?"

"Oh god." I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. Katherine chuckled.

"My, my. They're still madder than a wet hen, aren't they?" Katherine commented. I frowned at her and she sighed. "They are still mad enough that they're gonna make a scene."

"You have the weirdest phrases. And yes, they'll probably make a scene." I agreed, watching as Logan entered the room.

"Hey Logan." Bree greeted kindly. He smiled.

"Hey guys. Good to see you." He told us mentors. Leo sent him a glare, shaking his head. "Oh, right. We're still mad at them. Hey guys, it's NOT good to see you."

"Oh Logan." I sighed, shaking my head at the boy. After a couple more moments of awkward silence, Mr. Davenport finally walked into the room.

"How is she?" Leo asked, pushing past us.

"Awake. She's going to make it." He announced. There were happy murmurs from the crowd, smiles on everyone's faces. But some, like Chase and I, didn't smile quite yet. We were the few that had noted Mr. Davenport's serious tone, and how he wasn't smiling.

"See, told you!" Leo was oblivious to those facts. "So, what kind of bionic upgrades did you throw in? Rocket feet, or rocket elbows? Rocket hips? I'm just saying; the girl could use some rockets."

"No…Leo…" Mr. Davenport said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "Taylor…made it…but the laser spheres damaged her retinas. She's lost her eyesight. She's blind."

We all looked at him, shocked. "What?" Leo managed a horrified whisper, more than the rest of us were able to say.

"We tried everything, but no amount of bionics will fix this." Mr. Davenport continued. "It's permanent."

We all stood there in silence, letting his words sink in. Taylor, blind for the rest of her life, never to see another face, or a beautiful view of the ocean, or anything at all, ever again…

"Permanent for how long?" Adam asked, sounding confused. Rio sighed softly, pulling him away from the crowd a little to explain what Mr. Davenport had meant.

"You can't just give up. There's got to be something you can do." Leo protested. "You have to keep trying!"

"I'm sorry Leo." Mr. Davenport told us slowly before returning to the infirmary. We all exchanged looks, shocked and distraught by this turn of events.

"I can't believe this." Leo sounded horrified as he turned towards us. "She's never going to see again, and it's because of me."

"But…you said she was going to be okay." Logan looked at Leo, betrayal clear in his eyes. Leo stared at us all for a moment before walking away without another word.

"Leo!" I called, starting to go after him, but Chase caught my hand, stopping.

"Let him go, Calla." He told me. I glanced at him, then back at where Leo had gone, worried.

** Xxx **

"Calla, hey." I was on my way to my next class when Mr. Davenport stopped me.

"Good morning sir." I smiled politely.

"Listen, I've got an assignment for you. Douglas too, but he won't be of much help until he's done working on my self-driving limo." He told me.

"Yes, because the world needs another self-driving vehicle." I added sarcastically, still remembering my last experience with such a vehicle. No way was he getting me in another one.

"Anyway, I want you to try and design something to help Taylor. She won't be used to not being able to see, so I thought some sort of technology that could help her get around easier would be nice." He continued.

"Absolutely. I'll get started right away, sir." I agreed instantly, wanting to do anything I could to help her. Mr. Davenport smiled appreciatively and was about to continue when Douglas, Adam, and Katherine walked up to us.

"Donny, I think you're going to be really happy with the work we did on the limo." Douglas announced. "It is now officially indestructible."

"And all of your other forms of high end transportation are officially not." Adam added, taking a half-burnt steering wheel for a ship and handing it to Mr. Davenport.

"Morning guys." I smiled and walked up to Bree, Jaden, and Chase, kissing my boyfriend quickly. "So, who wants to help me build a high-tech cane?"

"A cane?" Bree looked at me.

"I'm still brainstorming." I admitted, trying to think of something cooler that Taylor would appreciate.

"Hey, have you guys seen Leo?" Jaden questioned. "I made him his favourite pancakes for breakfast – thought he could use some cheering up – but he didn't come down for breakfast."

"That's because I was packing." Looking past my brother, I saw Leo standing by the hydroloop. He was dressed in regular clothes rather than a student's uniform, and there was a bag slung over his shoulder.

"Leo, what are you doing?" Chase sounded genuinely confused. "You're supposed to be training."

Leo paused hesitantly before answering. "I'm going back to Mission Creek. I don't belong here anymore. I'm quitting the Academy."

"What?" I demanded, staring at him.

"Wait, we can do that?" Adam gasped.

"Adam!" Bree scolded. Mr. Davenport gave his oldest son a stern look before walking up to Leo.

"Look, Leo, I know you're upset about Taylor, but it was an accident." He said gently.

"No, Chase was right." Leo replied. "I'm not cut out to be a leader."

"I never meant for you to leave." Chase told him sincerely.

"Part of being a leader is making mistakes." Mr. Davenport informed him. "You learn from them, and you move on. I mean, look at Chase. Think of all the mistakes he's made as mission leader."

"Yeah, remember when the particle collider collapsed on us because of him?" Adam reminded him.

"Or when he told Sebastian about Krane and started the rebellion?" Bree added.

"Or when he neglected to tell Mr. Davenport about his telekinesis and nearly got Adam lost in space?" I mentioned.

"Or, that time when-" Adam continued, only for Chasse to cut him off.

"Mistakes were made! We get it!" Chase snapped, annoyed at having his mistakes listed out loud in front of the students.

"But his never hurt anyone." Leo pointed out. "Taylor has to live with my mistake for the rest of her life."

"So you're just going to give up and leave?" Logan asked, sounding upset.

"What about our team?" Katherine demanded, angry.

"Guys, you and Kieran and Taylor deserve a better team. Or at least a better leader." Leo told them seriously. "I'm not going to put you, or anyone else here in danger ever again."

He reached into his bag and pulled out his mission suit. He handed it to me. "Here. Give it to someone more deserving."

"Dude, it was a birthday/Christmas gift. You can't re-gift something this customized." I protested.

"Leo, I'm not going to let you do this." Mr. Davenport tried to stop him, but Leo wasn't having any of it.

"Yes, you are. It's not your choice. It's mine." The boy replied. He looked at us sadly. "Bye guys. Sorry I let you down."

And with that, he stepped into the hydroloop and we watched as it sped away from the island, taking Leo with it.

** Xxx **

The next two weeks were pretty boring, actually. Regular classes, regular meals, no missions. The only thing different about it at all was that everyone could feel the absence of two of our favourite students. Taylor had been in the infirmary ever since the accident, though Mr. Davenport had assured us she'd be back as soon as she had adjusted. As for Leo, despite the daily phone calls we made to him, he was still refusing to come back.

Usually, it was either me or Katherine calling him (I don't know where she got the phone, but I wasn't going to ask, in case she did anything illegal) since Adam, Bree, and Chase all thought that giving Leo some space might work, but after two full weeks of waiting, they'd broken down and called him using the video chat monitor in their room.

" _Morning Parker."_ Leo greeted, answering the call. He blinked in surprise when he saw the others. "Oh, hey guys."

"Hey Leo." Adam nodded at him.

"So…" Awkward silence. "How's it going?"

"It's really weird not having you here, Leo." Bree admitted. "Everybody really misses you."

"It's been two weeks. When are you coming home?" Chase asked.

"I'm sorry guys, but when I said I was done, I meant it." Leo replied. I sighed; he'd been giving me the same answer every morning for fourteen days now. 'I've hung up my mission suit forever."

"Then can you convince Calla to let me have it?" Adam requested. "I found a guy in Japan who's willing to pay top dollar."

"For the last time, no." I glared at him.

"Guys, I appreciate the call, as usual." He added that last bit with a glare in my direction. I guess he was getting annoyed with the daily calls, but hey, he'd do the same thing if I'd have left. "But things are actually great back here. School is much better without Perry, and I get to spend a lot of time with my mom."

"Every seventeen year old boy's dream." Bree commented sarcastically.

"You sure we can't change your mind?" Chase asked.

"Sorry guys, I'm staying here. I've gotta go." He told us. "Mom's hosting her book club tonight and I'm in charge of desert. As it turns out, my laser spheres caramelize the perfect crème Brule."

"Ooh, that sounds good." Adam grinned. "Do I, uh, have to read a book to get in on that?"

"Yes." Leo told him, much to his despair. "Later guys."

And with that, he hung up.

"I feel bad." Bree sighed. "We should have given him more credit."

"I know." Chase agreed. "And he deserves to be up there with us at the award ceremony tomorrow."

"Absolutely." I nodded.

"I couldn't agree with you more. And that's why he's going to be. Say hello to the newest member of our bionic team." Adam announced, pulling a cardboard cut out of Leo out from behind the couch. "Say hello to Cardboard Leo."

"What is that?" Chase questioned, bemused.

"It's a life-sized cardboard cut out of Leo, hence the name 'Cardboard Leo'." Adam replied. "Pay attention Chase. This stuff isn't that hard."

"I think what he means is 'are you crazy, we can't bring that to the ceremony'!" I exclaimed.

"Of course we can." Adam replied. "And if things get boring, I'm going to fold him into an airplane and fly him around."

** Chase's POV **

After we finished our classes for the day, Mr. Davenport took me, Adam, Bree, Jaden, and Calla out into the main classroom so he could talk to us about the award ceremony.

"So, nine a.m. tomorrow we'll take the hydroloop to the mainland and we will travel to the awards ceremony in my self-driving limo." Mr. Davenport announced.

"I call shotgun." Adam exclaimed.

"Adam, it's a limo. Everyone rides in the back." I explained to him.

"You sit where you want." Adam replied. "I will be still be holding the shotgun."

"I'd like to make one little adjustment to your plan, sir." Calla interrupted. He looked at her, confused. "Instead of coming with you guys in the limo, I'm going to have one of the students geo-leap me to the banquet hall half an hour before the ceremony."

"May I ask why?" Mr. Davenport questioned.

"I don't want a repeat of what happened last time I was in one of your self-driving vehicles." Calla replied. "One near trip to the bottom of the ocean is enough for me, thank you very much."

"Calla…" I sighed. We'd already had this discussion last night before going to bed, but it was clear that she still hadn't changed her mind. "You're being ridiculous. And paranoid."

"Yes, well the ridiculous and paranoid tend to live longer than those who are reckless and trust blindly, so I'm just gonna stick with my plan." She replied. "Besides, that way I can look after the kids for a bit, keep them out of trouble."

"Good luck with that." Jaden rolled his eyes. "Mind keeping them out of the kitchen? Bob always has a habit of breaking in and stealing food."

"I know." Calla agreed.

"Fine." Mr. Davenport rolled his eyes, letting her do what she wanted. "Once the president is dazzled, I will be undoubtedly be showered with a big, fat contract and piles of cash, which I just might share with you four."

I looked at him skeptically. He wasn't known for sharing his wealth. "Really?" Bree asked, hopefully.

"No." Mr. Davenport laughed, amused by his trick.

"Wait, wait, wait." I stopped him. "So even though it's our award ceremony, now it's become all about you?"

Mr. Davenport looked at me. "You know, for the smartest man in the world, it really took you a long time to figure that out." He pointed out before walking away.

"Hey guys." We turned at the sound of Kieran's voice and were shocked to see him, Taylor, and Logan walking towards us. Taylor, who looked perfectly healthy and back to normal, was smiling brightly. The only difference was the pair of cool looking glasses on her face.

"Taylor!" Bree exclaimed, running forwards for a hug. I was right behind her, hugging Taylor tightly before stepping back.

"HEY!" Adam shouted in her face. Taylor frowned, but didn't say anything. "IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU UP AND ABOUT! JUST SO YOU KNOW, THIS IS ADAM!"

"I lost my vision, not my hearing." Taylor pointed out.

"She obviously didn't lose that nasty attitude either." Adam muttered. Taylor's head turned in his general direction, looking a little annoyed.

"What are those glasses?" I asked, curious. I knew that Calla and Douglas had been working on something for Taylor, but they'd neglected to tell us exactly what.

"It's our latest piece of technology that we customized for her." Calla replied cheerfully. Douglas nodded.

"They're high-tech lenses that use a series of laser-guided sensors to enhance her spatial awareness." Douglas explained.

"They don't allow me to see in the traditional sense, but they vibrate to let me know…" She started forward, the glasses vibrating when she neared the desk. She stepped gracefully to the side, confident that she wouldn't hit anything. "…when there's an obstacle in my path."

She was smiling when she walked back towards us. "That's so cool. I want to try." Logan grinned, reaching for the glasses. Taylor instinctively grabbed his hand and twisted his arm behind his back painfully. "Ow, ow, so sorry, so sorry, please don't hurt me!" He begged until Taylor finally released him.

I smiled at the sight of that. Not that I was happy about Logan being in pain – which I wasn't – but I was pleased to see that Taylor was still the same strong girl that she'd been before the accident – it would have been a shame to see her lose that tough side of her after such a horrible event.

"Hey, I'm impressed, Taylor. You've made a lot of progress in a few weeks." Bree complimented.

"Thanks. I have been working really hard, and Kieran's been helping me every step of the way." Taylor replied. Kieran smiled and took her hand in his. "Hey, have any of you guys spoken to Leo? I was hoping someone convinced him to come back to the Academy by now."

"We talked to him this morning, but no luck." Calla replied sadly. "He won't change his mind."

"AH, YEAH! IT'S REALLY ANNOYING WHEN PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH!" Adam shouted, trying to be helpful. Taylor threw her free hand up in the air out of annoyance, then pulled Kieran along with her as she went to go say hi to some of her other friends.

"You see?" Adam looked at us. "There's that attitude again."

** Calla's POV **

"Alright, what do you think?" I demanded, stepping out of the mentor's private bathroom and doing a little spin so Chase could get a better view of my outfit. I was wearing a white sleeveless dress that ended midway up my thighs, along with my favourite black jacket that my dad had given me as a graduation present.

"You look great." Chase assured me, looking down at his magazine. I crossed my arms.

"You're not looking." I accused. Chase sighed and rolled his head over to look at me.

"Calla, you could be the freaking paper bag princess in a room full of Cinderellas and I'd still think you were the most beautiful woman there. I was with you when you bought the dress, so I already know how it looks on you, and you look perfect."

"Good response." I muttered before stalking over to his and sitting down on the couch, curling up with my feet on the other cushion and my head on his shoulder so I could see what he was looking at.

"Hey." Bree walked in, carrying two dresses in her hands. One was a red one, and the other was black. "Which dress do you like better for the ceremony? Red or black?"

"What do I know?" Chase retorted. I shrugged.

"C'mon, I don't have any sisters and Calla's useless when it comes to fashion advice!" Bree exclaimed. I looked at her, offended. "I need somebody to help me with this stuff."

"Well, I'm sorry, but it's not going to be me." Chase looked back at his magazine. "Even though red is the obvious match for your skin tone."

"Thank you." Bree smirked and placed the two dresses on the back of the nearest chair. Adam chose that moment to walk in, carrying Cardboard Leo under one arm and another piece of cardboard under the other.

"Hey, which color do you guys like better for Cardboard Leo?" He asked, holding the piece of cardboard, which was shaped and designed to look like a blue suit. "Blue…" He flipped it around to show an identical suit, the only differencing being that it was black. "…or black?"

"Why are you dressing up Cardboard Leo?" Chase sighed.

"Hey, if I have to wear a suit to the award ceremony, so does he." The older boy replied. "But, the joke's on you because we're both going commando."

"You do that." I nodded, amused.

"Adam, could you get rid of that thing?" Chase questioned.

"No." Adam looked at me, aghast. "When real Leo watches from home, I want him to feel like he's still an important part of our team."

"Have you lost your mind?" Bree demanded, snatching Cardboard Leo out of Adam's hands. "This is not our brother, it's a piece of cardboard!"

"No, it's four pieces of cardboard and I spent and extra 2.50$ on the glossy finish so you will respect him!" Adam snapped, angry. Bree shook her head and looked at us.

"I give up." She announced before walking out.

"Us too!" Chase agreed, starting to get up. He looked at me expectantly, but I had no intention of moving. "Calla?"

"I'm comfy and there's a Doctor Who marathon on at four." I explained, shrugging my shoulders. "Besides, even though what Adam's doing is very…" I glanced at the older boy, not wanting to offend him, "…unique, his heart is in the right place."

Chase sighed. "Alright. I'll grab dinner and join you here." He replied. I grinned and he continued on his way out.

"Adam," Chase stopped at the door. "Go with the blue; it's all the rage this season."

** Chase's POV **

Around nine o'clock the next morning, Bree, Jaden, Douglas, Mr. Davenport, and I climbed into the self-driving limo, all ready for the award ceremony. Bree was in her dress – though she'd chosen to go with the black one at the last minute – and the rest of in our tuxedos.

"So, how'd you guys get this thing to the mainland?" I asked curiously as I adjusted my cuffs.

"We had to helicopter it in from the island." Douglas replied.

"It was hung from incredibly strong cables." Bree explained. "The same ones they used to pull Mr. Davenport into his tux pants."

We all laughed at that, except for Mr. Davenport. "For your information, I got into these pants without any help from technology."

"It's true." Douglas agreed. "He used a girdle, and I had to tie it. And that thing did not want to be tied; I have rope burns."

We all stared at him. "Dude, so didn't want to know that."

Finally, Adam started into the limo, Cardboard Leo tucked under his arm. "Hey! Make some room for Leo!" He announced, stumbling over us on his way to his seat.

"Hey, watch my face! It's my money!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed, annoyed. I spared him a glanced as Adam placed Cardboard Leo over my and Bree's lap.

"I thought your brains were your money." I commented.

"No, I mean actual money. I just had fifty thousand dollars worth of work done to this thing." He told me.

"This thing could not be more in the way!" Bree exclaimed in annoyance, trying to push cardboard Leo off her lap.

"Exactly. Just like the real Leo." Adam smiled. Jaden chuckled.

"Well, he's not wrong." He commented, smirking. Bree hit him in the arm, giving him a harsh look.

"Enough, guys. Seatbelts on." Mr. Davenport reminded us. We all buckled ourselves in as Mr. Davenport raised his head to talk to the vehicle itself. "Drive to presidential award ceremony."

The limo started up and we could feel it leave the parking lot. "Whoa, this thing does whatever you tell it to? Cool! Pop a wheelie!"

"No!" We all exclaimed, staring at him. Mr. Davenport chuckled.

"It's okay, it's okay." He assured us. "The first thing I taught the computer was to tune out Adam's voice."

"Thank God." I muttered as Mr. Davenport buckled his seat belt. He looked at me, then smirked.

"Pop a wheelie!" Mr. Davenport shouted gleefully and we all fell back against each other and the limo did exactly that.

** Xxx **

Aside from the wheelie, the ride was actually very, very nice. We were making record time, there was virtually no traffic, and the limo had champagne, which we definitely taste-tested.

"I gotta hand it to you, Mr. D." Jaden looked at Mr. Davenport. "This is the smoothest ride I've ever been in."

"Yeah. You would never know this thing doesn't have a driver." I agreed. "The only thing that gives it away is the look of sheer terror on other people's faces when we pass by."

"Driver error is the number one cause of accidents." Mr. Davenport replied seriously. "This little baby will make automobile transportation a hundred times safer."

"Hey, what's it doing?" Bree asked suddenly, looking at the onboard computer screen. It was beeping quietly, the little light blue circle in the middle of the screen spinning slowly.

"Oh, the limo's computer is plotting the location of neighbouring videos and predicting their movement at twenty times a second."

"Blah, blah, blah." Adam rolled his eyes. "Where are the butt warmers?"

Mr. Davenport ignored him. "In case of emergency, the entire vehicle goes into lockdown. You're safer here than anywhere in the world."

"Calla was crazy for passing this up." Bree smirked. "She'll be sorry she missed it."

"Agreed, though I think we all know she's never going to get over that incident with the self-driving car." Jaden commented, looking directly at Douglas.

"Hey, I told Marcus to get rid of her and Leo. I never said how." He defended himself, sorta.

"Oh cool." I hummed suddenly, looking out the window. "We're going over the Hurst Memorial Bridge. Interesting fact: It's one of the largest suspension bridges in the world. Erected in 1951 by a small group of-"

"Here's another interesting fact." Bree interrupted me. "No one cares."

Before I could respond, the car suddenly jolted violently. "What was that?" Jaden demanded, looking at Mr. Davenport, his hand on Bree's knee.

"I don't know." Mr. Davenport admitted, looking concerned. "Patrician down."

The patrician slowly lowered and revealed the disaster that was happening all around us. Cars were speeding around in the wrong direction, the entire suspension bridge swaying as cables snapped.

"What's happening?" Bree demanded, her voice quiet.

"The…the bridge cables are snapping." I muttered, horrified.

"Put it up! Put it up!" Douglas exclaimed.

"Patrician up!" Mr. Davenport shouted desperately. The patrician rose slowly, blocking off the view. The car rocked violently as cars sped past us, a few hitting us, but only hard enough to cause a few dents. Suddenly, the rocking stopped. Well, mostly stopped. We were still rocking a bit, back and forth, but not nearly as bad as before.

"Is everybody okay?" Mr. Davenport looked at all of us as we tried to regain our breath. We all nodded shakily.

"A little hungry, but…" Adam tried to lighten the mood.

"Wait." Bree looked at all of us. "Why are we still rocking?"

"The limo must be wedged over something." Douglas realized.

"What do you think it is?" Adam questioned.

Mr. Davenport glanced at him, then at the patrician. "Patrician down." He ordered. The patrician fell once more, only to reveal a view of the ocean and the sky.

"Ooh, look. Clouds." Adam grinned. "I didn't know this thing could fly."

"We're not flying!" I shouted. "We're dangling off the bridge!"

We all scooted as far as we could to the back of the limo, trying to even out the weight. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quickly checked the news, wondering what the hell had happened.

"According to this, a transport ship slammed into the bridge." I announced. "If those cables keep snapping, we're done for!"

"Thanks for saying what we're all seeing." Bree retorted before pushing on the door handle. "We've gotta get out of here!" She cried, but the door wouldn't budge. She sent Mr. Davenport a panicked look. "Why won't the doors open?"

"The limo's computer sensed the emergency. It put the car into immediate lockdown mode." He explained.

"The technology that makes it impossible to get into the limo also makes it impossible to get out." Douglas added.

"Even with their bionics?" Jaden demanded.

"Yes. Thanks to Douglas." Mr. Davenport accused.

"Me?" Douglas stared at him. "The limo was your idea!"

"Yeah, until you ruined it!" Mr. Davenport retorted before he began to mock Douglas. "'I can break into your limo. I'm a bad boy. I have spiky hair and wear too many bracelets."

"Ask any guy who wears bracelets and he'll tell you that five is the perfect amount!" Douglas shouted. "Two is too few, four needs one more. Ha!"

"Guys! Stop fighting!" I snapped, trying to think of a way out of here. "We have to get out of here."

"I'm going to bust us out." Adam announced, trying to break the glass with his elbow. Not only did it not shatter, but the entire limo rocked harder, nearly making us go off the side of the bridge.

"Everyone stop moving!" Douglas ordered. We all froze, leaning as far back as we could.

** Calla's POV **

I had just walked out of my bathroom, my hair still wet from my shower when someone started banging on my door rapidly. I sighed, assuming that some of the students had gotten into a fight and needed me to settle it or something.

"One second!" I called, quickly pulling on my mentor's uniform – minus the jacket – and walking to the door. When I opened it, I found Logan, eyes wide and desperate. "Dude, what? I'm leaving in, like, twenty minutes."

"Bridge, wires, danger, mission!" He gasped, trying and failing to properly explain the problem.

"Whoa, hold on. Slow down and tell me what's going on." I encouraged him. He just shook his head and grabbed me by the wrist. He didn't bother making me run all the way to the main classroom though, instead geo-leaping me right into the middle of the room. The rest of the Academy were gathered there, watching a news report.

The news report was showing the Hurst Memorial Bridge, and things didn't look good. Half of the wires had snapped, putting who-knows how many lives in danger as it slowly collapsed.

"I was gone for ten minutes. How does this happen the second I'm gone?" I demanded.

"It's bad." Kieran agreed from his spot next to Taylor. "There's still a ton of civilians on that bridge."

"We've got to rescue them." Taylor insisted. I nodded, already pulling out my phone. I quickly hit the speed-dial button, but to my surprise, the call went directly to Chase's voicemail. I tried again, but was unable to reach him, Adam, or Bree.

"Damn it." I muttered. "Why aren't they answering?"

"Maybe because that's Mr. Davenport's limo." Rio told me. I looked up and saw a limo perched on the side of the bridge.

"Oh no." I muttered, staring.

"Adam, Bree, and Chase must be trapped inside, or else they would have started the rescue by now." Logan realized. I nodded.

"Okay, okay, okay…" I tried to think. I looked at the students, the ones we'd personally trained for missions like this. Yes, their track record hadn't exactly been spotless – two hospital trips in two missions – but they were more than ready. "Alright, listen up. I might get in trouble for this because Mr. Davenport hasn't signed off on any of you doing missions yet, but it's time for desperate measures. You're going to perform the rescue."

"Half of us have never been on a mission before, though!" One of the green level students, a girl named Candy, objected.

"It doesn't matter. We were trained for this." Taylor reminded them. "We can do this."

"She's right. Get moving – we'll send you the coordinates." I ordered. They all started to go, but I stopped a few of them. "Kieran, Taylor, Katherine, Logan, hold up."

"What is it?" Logan asked, confused.

"I need you guys to call Leo and tell him that if he's not on that bridge ASAP, there'll be hell to pay." I told them before walking away. I raced up to my room, grabbed my mission suit, quickly changed, and made it back to the hall in record time. In fact, they were still mid-call when I got there. I hung near the back of the room, unable to see them or be seen, but definitely able to hear them speak.

"…I know you quit the team, but your family needs you." Taylor pleaded with him.

"…Okay, I'll meet the four of you there." Leo agreed. I grinned; I figured that Taylor would be the only one able to convince him to come back, seeing as she was the reason he left.

"Wait, I'm not going!" Taylor protested.

"Why not?" He questioned, sounding confused.

"I can't see. I'd just be in the way." She explained.

"No you wouldn't." Both Kieran and Leo protested at the same time.

"Yes, I would." She insisted.

"Taylor," I heard Leo sigh. "Do you have any idea how many times I've been 'in the way'? on a mission?" He questioned.

"Yeah. Chase told me." She replied pleasantly. "Thirty-one and half."

"Look, you're not going to be in the way." Leo told her seriously. "You've still got a lot to offer and I need your help."

"I don't know…" Taylor said hesitantly.

"Don't worry. We'll make it through this together." I heard Logan reassure her.

"We're a team." Leo agreed. "All five of us."

"Alright. Let's do it." Taylor agreed, handing up. I stepped out of the shadows then, heading towards the hydroloop.

"Well?" I questioned.

"He's on his way." Kieran informed as we walked.

"Are you coming?" I questioned, making it clear that I was speaking to Taylor. She nodded.

"Yeah." She told me, though she seemed a little nervous.

"Good." I announced, climbing into the hydroloop. "It seems ridiculous to leave our best student at home because she's down a pair of eyes."

She grinned at that and followed me into the hydroloop, ready for her first real mission.

** Chase's POV **

"I can't get a signal." I muttered, looking at my phone in frustration. I'd been trying to reach Calla, maybe get her to see what she could do, but so far, I hadn't been able to reach her. "Let me guess; the lockdown shuts down all exterior communications?"

"Yep." Mr. Davenport sighed, fiddling with the onboard computer. "If I can find a way to shut down the computer, the limo will terminate lockdown mode."

"Have you tried overriding the security architecture?" Douglas questioned.

"What about jail breaking the cryptographic interface?" I suggested.

"What about the off button?" Adam demanded. Mr. Davenport rolled his eyes and Adam sighed. He looked down at Cardboard Leo, which (whom?) he was holding in his arms. "I don't think he's taking us very seriously, Leo."

"Stop talking to Cardboard Leo!" I shouted, annoyed and frustration. Unfortunately, I accidently shifted the limo and it rocked dangerously.

"Don't move." Douglas warned us slowly. "Every time you do, we're one step closer to plummeting to our death. Just stay still."

We managed to do exactly that for almost a minute and half before Bree announced, "I have to sneeze."

"Can't you hold it?" I demanded. She shook her head, already making those panicked gasps a person makes before sneezing. Thankfully, Jaden was quick on his feet and pinched her nose, preventing the sneeze. He waited a few moments before Bree let out a relieved sigh and he slowly removed his hand.

"Ah-choo!" Adam suddenly sneezed, rocking the limo even closer to the edge.

** Leo's POV **

It took me a while, but I finally made it to the mission site. Calla was hard at work, standing on top of a piece of rubble and giving the students directions, such as where to lead unharmed civilians or how to prioritise who got saved first. The students were everywhere, using their bionics to stabilize bits of the bridge long enough to rescue people.

I considered running over to Calla to let her know that I was here to help, but once I caught sight of Logan, Katherine, Kieran, and Taylor helping civilians, I chose to go to my team instead.

"Sorry I'm late!" I apologized, running over to them. "I was in such a rush, I went to the wrong bridge. You'll be happy to know all is well on the Norcal Connector."

"That's the last of the civilians." Kieran informed me.

"Are you sure?" I questioned. He nodded.

"Yeah, Rio just double checked. By the way, she's insisted on joining our team." He mentioned.

"Good, we could use the help." I admitted. "Have we set up a triage area?"

"First thing Calla had us do." Taylor replied.

"Good." I nodded. "Now, where's the limo?"

"Over there." Logan replied, gesturing at the edge of the bridge. I could see the limo clearly, only half of it still on the bridge itself. It was a miracle it hadn't tipped over yet.

We started towards the limo slowly, trying to think of how to approach the situation without making it worse. Suddenly, the limo rocked harder, as if someone on the inside had tried to move it.

"Stop." I ordered, hoping that if we all froze, the limo would as well. Surprisingly, it did, and a second later, I heard Big D's voice.

" _Leo, can you hear me? Leo!"_  He shouted.

"Yes, Big D. I can hear you!" I called back. "We're coming to get you."

" _No! It's too unstable; I don't want you to get hurt."_ Big D called.  _"Listen to me very carefully. We're locked in. See that silver shark fan on the rear windshield?"_

I looked and saw the small shark fin. "I see it!" I shouted.

" _That's the housing unit the computer system."_  He explained.  _"I need you find a way to disable it. Then it will release the locks and we can climb out_."

"Got it." I agreed.

"They can do this." I heard Bree say. "Right?"

" _What do you think?"_  Douglas replied.  _"Our lives are in the hands of a newbie, a wannabe cowgirl, a quitter, a teacher's pet, and a blind girl."_

We all exchanged annoyed looks. "Wannabe!" Katherine muttered, furious.

"We can still hear you!" Kieran shouted, remind them that we were still here.

" _Then, boy, aren't we lucky!"_  Douglas shouted back, trying to cover for his mistake.

Katherine looked at me. "We gotta find ourselves a way to get rid of that computer system."

Suddenly, another wire snapped and the limo jolted forwards a bit. Kieran looked at me.

"Rio just messaged me telepathically. Calla wants to know if we need help." He told me. I shook my head.

"No. If she, or anyone else, comes out here, they'll just be putting themselves in danger. And Chase would kill me if I let Calla do something like that." I replied. Kieran nodded and, presumably, messaged his sister back through their telepathic bond.

"Then what's the plan?" Taylor demanded. I looked at Kieran.

"You've got that gravity manipulation, ability, right?" I questioned. He nodded.

"Yes, but it only works properly if there's a solid surface below the object I'm cancelling the gravity around. Without it, I can maybe stabilize the limo a little bit, but that's it."

"A little bit is better than nothing." I told him and he nodded, raising his hands towards the limo. I saw the limo adjust, and though it was still in a dangerous position, you could tell it was a little less likely to go plummeting off the side of the bridge.

"Taylor." I turned to the blind girl. "We need to use our EMP. It disables any electrical charge. If we generate a sphere, Logan can guide it to take out the limo's computer.

"Yes!" "Let's do it!" They both agreed. Katherine nodded.

"When the doors unlock, I can use my geo-leaping ability to get close enough to help all of them out." She announced. I nodded and took Taylor's hand, the laser spheres already beginning to spin around our hands. We kept going, not about to risk not having a big enough charge.

Then I made the mistake of looking at Taylor while we did this, and I couldn't help but remember how I almost killed her the last time we did. I stepped away, unable to make myself use the ability that ruined her life.

"What's the matter?" She demanded, confused. "Why'd you stop?"

"I…I can't do this. What if I hurt you again? What if I hurt them?" Too much was on the line for me to take a risk like that. "I don't want to ruin anyone else's life!"

"Leo!" Taylor shook her head. "You didn't ruin my life. It was an accident. And if I'm not going to let it stop me from being a bionic hero, why should you?"

"Guys, hate to ruin the moment and all, but I can't hold this for much longer!" Kieran shouted, face red as he struggled to keep the limo balanced.

"This is it Leo." Katherine told me, jumping onto the end of Taylor's little speech. "Be the leader we know you are."

I sighed and looked between both girls. "So?" Taylor asked, holding out her hand. "Are you in?"

"Yeah. I'm in." I agreed, about to take her hand. Taylor pulled away suddenly, a frown on her face. "Taylor? What's wrong?"

"Move!" She shouted suddenly, leaping forwards. She knocked all of us to the ground just as a wire snapped. If we hadn't moved when we did, it would have taken all five of us out.

"How'd you know that was going to happen?" Kieran asked, his hands on Taylor's shoulders as he checked to make sure his girlfriend hadn't been injured.

"I heard the sound of the cable when it snapped." She explained, brushing Kieran's hands away and getting to her feet. "Ever since I lost my vision, all of my other senses have increased."

"Impressive." Katherine commented.

" _Hello? Sliding off a bridge over here!"_  Jaden shouted at us from the limo. Kieran quickly got to his feet and used his gravity manipulation to help hold the limo, but it was clear that he was tiring out and wouldn't be able to hold it for much longer.

"Hang on. We have a plan!" I assured them.

" _You know,"_  Chase must have also forgotten that we could still hear them,  _"based on the last forty times that he said that, I'd say we have a ten percent chance of making it."_

" _Hey, hey, he came all the way out here to save us. Give the kid some credit."_  Big D defended me.  _"Twelve percent."_

"We can still hear you!" I reminded them. I looked at Taylor. "Taylor, give me your hand."

She held out her hand and I took it, the laser spheres creating the EMP charge. This time, I didn't let my confidence waver, instead being completely focused on the mission. "Logan, on my queue, aim the sphere at that silver fin. Katherine, be ready to geo-leap them out of there."

"Got it." "Ready." They both agreed.

I looked at Taylor. "We've got this."

"I trust you." She responded as Logan got ready to aim the EMP.

"And…" I waited another second. "Now!"

Taylor and I released the EMP and he aimed it at the limo. The EMP blast hit the fin dead on, electrical sparks coming from it. The moment the limo made a beeping noise to let everyone, inside the limo and out, know that the doors were unlocked, Katherine had geo-leaped to the limo, ready to help get everyone out. Instead of going through the doors, they went through the sunroof – probably the safest of the options – and between Katherine's geo-leaping and Bree's superspeed, they quickly got to safety. First Jaden, then Adam, Douglas and Big D, then…"

"Damn it!" Kieran cussed suddenly, collapsing to his knees when he could no longer hold the limo in place. It had just become too much for him.

"Chase!" Bree shouted as the limo began to slide, Chase unable to climb out on his own. Taylor shook her head sadly.

"We have to go now. The whole bridge is about to collapse." She told us.

"You guys go. I'll get Chase." I told them.

"But Leo, we-" Adam began to protest.

"There's no time! Go!" I shouted. Bree nodded and grabbed Jaden and Big D, super-speeding them to safety. Logan and Katherine, the only two geo-leapers of the group, grabbed Douglas, Adam, Kieran and Taylor and disappeared, hopefully reappearing somewhere safe.

I ran over to the limo, grabbing the back of it with my bionic hand. Chase spared me a grateful glance as he struggled to climb out of the limo. But despite my efforts, the limo was extremely heavy and at a bad angle, making it hard to hold onto.

"Leo! You have to let go!" Chase ordered. "Or the limo's going to take you with it."

"I'm not letting go!" I retorted, not about to argue with him about this. He continued to try and get out, but the angle the limo was at, along with the constantly jolting, made it nearly impossible. My feet began to slip and I realized the only way this was going to work was if I pulled Chase out myself. "Give me your hand!" I shouted, holding my non-bionic one out.

Chase reached for it, but the limo jolted again, send him farther back from me. I tried again, as he managed to climb onto the roof of the limo. After a few long, suspenseful moments of neither of us thinking this was going to work, he finally managed to reach mine and he grabbed on tight.

I immediately released the limo, using my strength to pull Chase onto the bridge. We both watched as the limo fell, hitting the water with a large splash.

"Wow." Chase breathed, sounding both shocked and relieved. "Leo, you did it. You saved my life. I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

"I'm just glad you're okay." I replied, hugging him. When I pulled away, I noticed a human sized mass in the water near where the limo had entered. "There's someone floating in the water."

Upon closer examination, though, I stopped, confused. "Is that me?"

"Oh, don't worry; that's just Cardboard You. Trust me, he wasn't worth saving." Chase replied. I looked at him, confused, but decided to ask questions later, when we weren't standing on a collapsing bridge.

** Calla's POV **

So, as it turns out, I was right about self-driving vehicles being evil and dangerous. Once I was sure that everyone was okay, I had proceeded to give Mr. Davenport the 'I Told You So' speech, much to his annoyance and my amusement.

But now, after a long car drive, we were at the banquet hall for the awards ceremony. Mr. Davenport, Douglas, Jaden, Kieran, Katherine, Logan, Taylor, and I got seats near the front (after their successful mission, we'd insisted that they stay for the ceremony) and were able to watch the entire ceremony in luxury seats.

"I wonder what they're thinking." Taylor whispered to me. I smirked.

"Oh, I can tell you exactly what they're thinking." I muttered back, going quiet as The President began to speak.

"These individuals before you are the epitome of what I hero should be." He announced. I glanced at Adam, then at Taylor.

"Adam's thinking 'itchy, itchy, itchy, why didn't I wear underwear!'" I whispered, making her smirk.

"They are the most selfless, humble people that I know." The President continued.

"Bree's like 'my face is on every channel. Melissa Finnegan is so jealous right now.'" I whispered in my best Bree voice.

"Because of their courageous actions, the world is a better place." The President commented.

"What about Chase?" Taylor asked. I smirked.

"'I'm gonna take your job. I'm going to be president someday. This place will be mine, all mine!'" I murmured. Taylor covered her face with her hand, trying not to laugh out loud.

"Heroes come in all shapes and sizes." The President continued, oblivious to my and Taylor's mockings. "But the real way to measure a true hero is by their determination to never give up."

We all applauded as Adam, Bree, Chase, and even Leo were given medals for their heroic actions. They all deserved it, every single one of them.

"Leo?" Taylor asked, smiling. I cleared my throat to do a better impersonation.

"'If I didn't have to go to the bathroom so bad, I might actually be enjoying this.'"

"The people of our nation, and our planet, are beyond grateful for the contributions that you four have made to our safety and wellbeing. There is no way we can repay you for all that you've done." The President finished.

"Well don't let that stop you from writing a big fat check." Adam replied loudly. We all stared at him.

"Thank God Rio's not here to see this." Kieran muttered, pinching the bridge of his noise. Adam looked around, confused by the amount of people staring.

"Did I just say that out loud?" He whispered. Chase nodded. "Oh."

"Idiot."

** Leo's POV **

"Hey, I was just coming to find you." I announced, spotting Calla standing by mentor's quarters. She grinned when she saw me. "Taylor said you needed to talk to me?"

"Yeah, come in!" She insisted, a little too eagerly, before pulling me into the room. To my surprise, Adam, Bree, Chase, Jaden, Douglas, and Big D were all waiting for me.

"What's this about?" I asked slowly.

"Well, you said you were going to rejoin the team, right?" Calla asked. I nodded. "And while we're all totally okay with that, none of us really feel that you should continue being a student."

"What?" I demanded, hurt. "Why not? I'm part of this Academy!"

"You are." Big D agreed. "And you did show a tremendous amount of bravery and determination on the bridge mission."

"Then I should be allowed to be a student!" I exclaimed. Bree looked at everyone.

"I suppose, if he really wants to be a student, he can." She said slowly. Chase frowned, pulling a white uniform out from behind his back.

"Then what are we supposed to do with this new mentor's uniform?" He asked loudly. I stopped, staring at them.

"What?" I whispered, unable to believe what I was seeing. Big D chuckled.

"I'm promoting you to mentor status, Leo." He announced.

"Really?" I looked at them. They all nodded. "I…I…thank you! Wow, I can't believe this."

"You're welcome." Chase told me before pulling me in for a hug. "I couldn't be prouder of you buddy."

"Now, go get changed." Calla insisted. "Then we can go brag to the students."

"Spin's going to freak when he finds out I'm becoming a mentor before he's even becoming a red level student." I grinned. Jaden nodded.

"Absolutely. And that's why we're bringing the video camera, to catch all of this on film and keep it forever." He joked. I beamed and quickly went into the bathroom to change into my new uniform. Wow. How could a day that started so badly turn out so freaking amazing?


	25. And Then There Were Four

** Chase's POV **

I sighed in contentment, enjoying the nice day from my spot on the couch. It was a Saturday, which meant that everyone had the day off, so most of the students were on the artificial beach Davenport had created. If you look out the window, you could see Katherine and Kieran arguing over some foul in their volleyball game, while the other students played on.

The rest of us mentors, plus Jaden, were in the mentor's quarters, just hanging out. Leo was refereeing a game of fuse ball between Adam and Jaden, and Bree was in the arm chair, texting Rebeccka.

I was on the couch, checking out the new Deadpool trailer, while Calla lay next to me with her head in my lap. She was working on some secret project she wasn't supposed to tell me about, much to my frustration, but I didn't press her for details.

"Good news, guys!" No one looked up as Mr. Davenport entered. "I'm totally free this weekend. No meetings, no conferences, just two fun-filled days with me."

"So…no conferences at all? You know, if we looked really hard, I bet we could find you one." Bree offered before glancing at me. "Calla, find him one."

"Already looking." She replied quickly, already scrolling through his schedule to see if she could rearrange one of his meetings or conferences to today. "Damn it. Sorry Bree, but he's completely free."

"Wait, are you saying you don't want to hang out with me?" Mr. Davenport looked at her.

"Well, if she's not, I am." Adam offered, briefly glancing up from his game.

"Alright." Mr. Davenport shrugged it off. "What about you, Leo?"

"Ah…Big D, I'd love to, but I…I really don't want to." He admitted. Mr. Davenport sighed.

"Calla, Jaden? You guys want to spend time with your boss?" He asked.

"No thanks. Too busy kicking Adam's butt at fuse ball!" Jaden called, totally focused on the game.

"I'm going to lie and I say I have work to do." Calla replied. I slowly climbed out from under her, being gentle but still managing to stand up. "Hey! I was using you as a pillow!" She protested.

"Here." I handed her a pillow before looking at Mr. Davenport. "Don't worry, Mr. Davenport. I'll hang out with you."

"You know what, I've got a lot of work." Mr. Davenport lied. He started to leave, but stopped when the doors opened on their own, Douglas walking in. "Hey Douglas."

His brother didn't answer, instead looking at Mr. Davenport with a strange look on his face. "What's wrong with you?" Mr. Davenport questioned, as everyone looked at Douglas, concerned.

"I just got a phone call from Daniel." Douglas' voice was rough and quiet.

"Who's Daniel?" Bree inquired, curious.

He hesitated for a brief moment before answering. "Your brother."

We all exchanged looks, confused and shocked by the statement.

"We have another brother?" I demanded as Douglas made his way through the room, sitting down next to a now upright Calla. We all stared at him, trying to process this. A brother, another brother. How could he not tell us about this?

"I never told anyone, but…I actually created four bionic superhumans: Adam, Bree, Chase and Daniel."

"What is with you naming your kids in alphabetical order?" Leo demanded.

"Hey, it's better than their original names: Big Boy, Little Boy, and Not-a-Boy."

Bree leaned forward in her seat. "Another brother, huh? Would it kill you to throw some lip gloss and long hair into one of your test tubes?"

Douglas didn't answer, mainly because Mr. Davenport didn't give him a chance. "I can't believe you never told me. Of all the rotten things you've done, this has got to be the worst."

"I had to keep it a secret so that Daniel would be safe." Douglas defended himself. "He was just a baby the day you stole these guys from me!"

"Rescued!" Mr. Davenport corrected.

"Stole!" Douglas snapped in response.

"Rescued!" Mr. Davenport retorted childishly.

"Stole!" Douglas argued.

"Rescued!" Calla stood up the moment Mr. Davenport stopped speaking, looking a little annoyed.

"Oh my God! Both of you, shut up!" She snapped. "We get it. You're both terrible people. Get to the point already."

"After Donny ratted me out to the police, I knew I'd be living on the run, so I found Daniel a nice family that was looking to adopt." Douglas explained. "That way he could have a safe, normal life away from all my chaos."

"How old is he?" I asked, curious.

"Fourteen." Douglas replied.  **(1)**

"Wait, how'd he get your number anyway?" Calla asked, sitting back down.

"He found some old records listing me as his birth father and he got my phone number off Google and here we are." He replied. Jaden frowned.

"You faked your death and you can still find your current phone number by Googling your name? Dude, you gotta get better at faking your own death." He commented.

"All that aside, when do we get to meet him?" Bree asked, looking up at Douglas.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." He stopped her there. "I just talked to him for the first time; I don't think either one of us is ready for that."

"Well, what did he say?" Mr. Davenport questioned.

"That he's ready to meet me." Douglas admitted. We all looked at him and he sighed. "Look…I just don't know if I'm ready to be a dad."

"Said the father to his three teenage kids." Bree added. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh come on! Have him visit!" I urged. "It'll be fun to have a little brother around."

"Yeah, because Leo's just some meaningless dude who's been living in your house for years." Leo commented sarcastically.

"Thanks Leo. Took the words right out of my mouth." Adam commented. I smirked at Leo, a hint of apology in my smile. I hadn't meant it like that at all – I was just excited to have a younger brother who was so much younger than me. The one year age difference had never been much of a gap, but Daniel was a whole four years younger.

"So, can we meet him?" Bree inquired. We all looked at Douglas expectantly, hopefully. He thought about it for a minute, then sighed.

"Alright." He agreed reluctantly. "Fine."

"Yes!" We all exclaimed happily, grinning at each other. Even Calla and Jaden, who weren't technically family, seemed excited.

"Dude!" Adam grinned at Douglas. "It all makes sense now."

"What does?" Douglas sounded confused.

"Why you had to make a fourth. You couldn't finish with Chase." He gestured at me. "You can't end on that."

I looked down at myself, confused as to why I would be a bad way to end things. "He's kidding." Calla murmured, her head on my shoulder. "I think."

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes, even as I wrapped my arm around her.

** xxx **

Two days later and we were all ready to meet Daniel. Because we had wanted to keep this to a family thing, Jaden had taken the students out on a field trip to the zoo (Katherine's idea) and Calla was in her room, only remaining on the island in case we got a mission alert. It wasn't that we didn't want them here, it was just that we didn't want to overwhelm the kid, and both Calla and Jaden totally understood why.

To say that we were nervous would be an understatement. I couldn't help but wonder about Daniel. Did he look like me, or Adam, or Bree? We'd been created from most of the same DNA, so it made sense that he'd look like us. But would he act like us? Would he be stubborn and independent like Bree? Intellectual and logical like me? Or happy-go-lucky and carefree like Adam?

"Heads up, guys. Daniel will be here any minute." Douglas announced, pacing slightly.

"Alright, since having all these new dads and brothers is getting confusing, I made a family tree. Here's what I got." He held up the paper he'd been drawing on, a mess of scribbles and words. "Chase, you are my wife." We both frowned. "Oh, sucks to be Calla."

"I wonder what Daniel's going to be like." I thought aloud. "Do you think he'll have super strength like Adam? Or super speed like Bree?"

"Or be a total disappointment like you." Adam added. I looked at him and he smirked. "No offense, honey."

"Oh, speaking of Daniel, there is one other little thing." Douglas told us. "He doesn't know he's bionic."

"Wh-what?" Mr. Davenport demanded. We were all staring at him.

"Well, he has a chip, like you three, but since he's never been in a capsule, his bionics have never been activated." Douglas replied, matter-of-factly.

"You didn't tell him he's bionic." Mr. Davenport questioned. "You know, every time you say 'no more secrets' another one pops up. And just when we were starting to trust you again."

"I don't trust him. Half those bracelets he's wearing are Tasha!" Bree exclaimed. Douglas grabbed the wrist with most of the bracelets on it, looking offended.

"You can trust me." He insisted. "Oh, but before I forget, since everyone thinks Donny's your dad, let's just go with that and tell Daniel you're his cousins."

"See? More lies!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed.

"No, he's telling the truth on this one." Adam corrected, before adding, "Uncle Mr. Davenport."

Douglas rolled his eyes before looking at his brother. "You know, I'm not the only person in this family who lies. You never told Leo that you ran over his iguana and replaced it with a robot duplicate."

Mr. Davenport glared at Douglas, while Leo looked down right horrified. "Iggy was a robot?" He exclaimed, hurt and shocked.

Mr. Davenport sighed. "Well…yeah." He admitted. "But the fact that you didn't notice…you have to respect the design!"

Leo didn't have enough time to retort, as the hydroloop tunnel lit up, announcing Daniel's arrival. "He's here!" I exclaimed.

The hydroloop doors slid open to reveal a fourteen year old boy with blondish brown hair. He was a little tall for his age, but not by too much, and was dressed like your average teenager – ripped jeans, skateboard shoes, and a graphic shirt with faded colors. "Whoa!" Daniel grinned toothily, looking around. "Nice digs."

"Hi buddy." Douglas stepped forward to greet him. He looked nervous, but had managed to put a wide smile on his face. "I'm your daddy, Douglas."

I sighed, watching as he treated Daniel as if he was a four year old, not a fourteen year old. Daniel wasn't impressed either.

"Yeah, uh, I know these pants are baggy, but does it look like I'm wearing a diaper?" He questioned, hands on his hips.

"Sorry." Douglas apologized before leading him over to us. "These are Adam, Bree, Chase, and Leo. They're your cousins."

"Hey." Daniel smiled at us. Bree smiled brightly.

"This might sound weird because we just met, but I'm gonna call you 'Danielle'." She told him, beaming at him. He gave her a strange look, but didn't argue.

"Alright." Mr. Davenport interrupted. "Time to drop the whole father-son-reunion-thing and get to the real reason you're here; to meet your Uncle Donald."

Daniel shook his hand willingly, smiling. "Wow, so I get a brand new dad, an uncle, and all these cousins too."

"Yep, we're your cousins." I had to admit, I wasn't the greatest liar in the world. "That's how we're related. Right, Adam?"

But Adam just looked confused. "I don't know." He said, staring at his chart. "According to this, I died thirty-five years ago."

** Xxx **

"So, what's he like?" Calla inquired, looking at me. She was sitting cross-legged on the couch, her hands on her knees and an interested look on her face.

"Cool, actually." I admitted. "He's got a bit of an attitude, but what fourteen year old doesn't? And he seems pretty eager to meet us, while at the same time he's not really that star struck by meeting four bionic heroes."

"Awesome." Calla grinned, before frowning in confusion. "Hey, where is he, anyway? I thought you were all going to hang out."

"We did, for a while, then he and Douglas went to go talk or something." I shrugged, before glancing at Adam. He was noisily wrapping a toy horse in wrapping paper.

"Will you stop that?" Bree demanded, proving that I wasn't the only one getting annoyed at the sound. "And why are you wrapping presents anyway?"

"They're for Daniel. I have to make up for fourteen years of never giving him a birthday present." Adam explained. I got up and picked up one of the gifts.

"A baby rattle?" I questioned, holding it up.

"Oh, that's not for Daniel." Adam informed me. "That's for you when you turn fourteen."

"Dude, I'm eighteen." I reminded him. He shrugged, not particularly caring. The doors slid open then and Mr. Davenport walked in.

"Good news. Looks like Douglas and Daniel are already starting to bond." He announced. Leo sent him a dirty look.

"Bond, huh?" He repeated. "Kinda like you forced Iggy to bond with the driveway?"

"Technically, it was the curb, not the driveway." Mr. Davenport corrected. "You rode your bike over him for, like, a month."

Leo gasped, his hand covering his mouth.

"I can't believe you lied to him for all these years." Bree shook her head at him. "You are just as bad as Douglas."

"Oh, you're one to talk." Mr. Davenport scoffed. "What about the time you threw away that coat Adam made out of beef jerky?"

Adam dropped the horse he was wrapping and stared at Bree, his mouth agape. "You told me Tasha threw that away."

Bree looked at him apologetically, unable to find the right words to say. But Mr. Davenport wasn't done. "Not only did she throw it away," he added, "but she ate a sleeve first."

Adam gasped loudly, clearly upset. "You monster!" He cried dramatically.

"Mr. Davenport, how could you?" Bree demanded, betrayed.

"I had to!" He defended himself. "It was the only way I could get people to stop talking about Leo's dead pets!"

"Pets?" Leo stood up, eyes wide. "With an S?"

Mr. Davenport hesitated. "Yes, with an S. But in my defense, I just built the robot hamster. Calla's the one who got your hamster killed!"

"You killed Pascal?" Leo demanded, looking at her. She ducked her head guiltily.

"Remember that time you went to visit your grandmother and you guys asked me to feed Glitch, Pascal, and Iggy?" She gave him a sad look. "Pascal kinda got out of his cage and he got outside where he sorta…kinda…got attacked by the Henderson's Rottweiler, Olaf."

"How could you not tell me?" He demanded.

"Because I knew how you'd react!" Calla argued.

"Wait, can we get back to my jacket?" Adam exclaimed, angry and glaring at Bree. I sighed, leaning back in my chair, knowing that this was going to go on for a while.

** Daniel's POV **

So far, today was pretty awesome. I had been a little nervous to meet my dad, I admit, because I didn't know much about him. All I knew was his name, and that he was related to the bionic superhumans that are always on the news. But that was it.

To my surprise, and relief, he was actually a pretty cool guy. He was smart, like me, and knew a lot about technology. After telling me a bit about himself – that he majored in physics in University, that he lived on the island along with my uncle, my cousins, a few close family friends, and some students, and that he was glad that I had a good set of foster parents – he showed me some of the cool inventions on the island. He'd admitted that some of them belonged to my Uncle Donald and someone named Calla, but the ones he made were pretty awesome. In fact, he even let me mess around with some of them.

"Oh, hi Donny." I looked up from my piece of pie – note to self, get the name of the chef from my dad before I go – as my Uncle Donald walked in. "We were just about to have some pie. Care to join us?"

Uncle Donald grinned. "Well my hips say no, but my hips say yes."

He took a seat and grabbed a fork. I looked at my dad, who subtly nodded, and I began to mess around with the magnet under the table. The tin of pie started moving around the table, stopping every once in a while, but moving the second Uncle Donald came close to getting a bite.

Dad and I laughed and gave each other high fives, much to Uncle Donald's annoyance. "Daniel wanted to do something techy, so we magnetized the table."

Uncle Donald laughed good naturedly, though he clearly was annoyed. "Hilarious. Now can I please have a piece of pie? I think I deserve it; I spent the entire morning doing cardio jazz."

I smirked and got up. "Trust me Uncle Donald; I'm doing your hips a favor." I told him before taking the plates away. I figured, since I'm here, I might as well clean up my own mess. Besides, I wanted to go see what my cousins were up to. On my way out, I caught a piece of my dad and uncle's conversation.

"Oh, Donny. This is going better than I thought it would!" My dad was saying. "He's a really good kid, and he likes me."

"Trust me, I'm as shocked as you are." I heard my uncle say as I left. I smiled to myself, proud that I managed to get my dad to like me.

It took me a bit to figure out where my cousins' room was – after all, the island was so huge and there were so many rooms – but eventually, I found their room. It was actually a pretty cool room. Three large capsules – cool glass tube things that bionic people slept in - were at the back of the room, and there was a little living room in the middle, next to a pool (awesome!), a high tech desk, and a snack bar.

Chase was sitting at the desk, working on a laptop, and Leo was in the arm chair, reading a magazine while Bree was at the snack bar and Adam was going through his dresser. What surprised me, though, was the fifth person in the room. There was a pretty eighteen year old girl on the couch, with long, brown hair pulled up into a ponytail. She wasn't really paying attention to anyone, music blaring from her headphones as she typed on a laptop. Which was a good thing, since it was a weird conversation. I'd been about to speak up and announced my entrance, when I heard exactly what they were saying.

"…I have to go put on my Swiss cheese shorts before you throw those out too." Adam was saying, holding up a pair of shorts literally made out of cheese.

"Hey, don't forget to put on your pepperoni pants." Leo mentioned, briefly glancing up from some science magazine.

"Leo, don't be silly. Everyone knows you don't wear pepperoni after labor day." Adam insisted. I stared at them, confused by what was going on, but no one seemed to think this was weird at all.

"Look, Adam, I know you're mad, but can you please just let it go?" Bree begged.

"No!" Adam snapped, upset. "I would never do something that cruel!"

"Really?" Bree questioned. "How about that time we snuck out to the amusement park?"

"What amusement park?" Adam questioned, before realization crossed his face. "Oh, you mean that time we lied to Chase and said we were going on an eight hour training run."

"What?" Chase demanded, getting up, "Why wouldn't you invite me? To either of those things?"

"Hey, it was Calla's idea to lie to you." Adam defended himself. The girl on the couch looked up.

"What was my idea?" She asked, pulling off the headphones.

"To lie to me about going to an amusement park." Chase crossed his arms, a sour look on his face. The girl, presumably named Calla, sent Adam a dirty glare before looking at Chase.

"We were in the middle of a big fight and I didn't want to talk to you, so when Jaden said he had free passes to the amusement park, I figured…why don't we not invite Chase?" She explained, looking guilty. "I'm sorry."

"Man, I guess I've done two cruel things." Adam mentioned.

"Uh, make that three." Calla corrected, sitting up. "Remember that time you melted Bree's bike?"

"Excuse me?" Bree demanded, slamming her yogurt container down on the counter. "You used your heat vision on my bike?"

"No, a blow torch." Adam corrected.

"Uh, guys?" Calla interrupted before things could get any more heated. I smiled at her, noticing how her pretty blue eyes were focused on me. "I think we're freaking the kid out."

They all followed her gaze, surprised to see me there. "Oh, hey Daniel." Bree greeted. I smirked.

"Do all siblings argue like that?" I questioned, sincere. I'd never had any brothers or sisters before, not even a foster sibling, so I had always been a bit intrigued by the relationship between siblings.

"Only the bionic ones." The girl, Calla told me before smiling at me. "You're Daniel, right? I'm Calla."

"It's nice to meet you Calla." I shook her hand. "But tell me, you're not my cousin."

She laughed at that, even though I was serious. Sure, there was an age difference, but she was still cute. "No, I'm not your cousin." She informed me before quickly adding. "But I am your cousin's girlfriend."

"Dang." I sighed. "You're a lucky man, Adam."

Everyone laughed at that. "Chase is my boyfriend, actually." Calla told me. I frowned.

"Why?" I asked, confused as to why she'd be dating what most people dubbed 'the boring one'. She smirked before looking at my cousins.

"I like him; he's funny." She told them. I smiled.

"Thank you." I nodded before pulling out my phone. "Hey, would it be cool if I take some pictures?"

"Sure. Headshots are right there." Adam gestured to a stack of pictures on the table. "Five dollars if you want me to sign it, ten if you want me to write, 'your friend, Adam'."

"…Okay." Leo rolled his eyes, getting up. "How about we get one of you inside of a capsule?"

"Sweet. Sounds good to me." I handed the phone off to Leo and ran up to the capsules. I stepped inside the one in the middle, grinning. I shivered a bit the moment Leo was done taking the photo, though I brushed it off. It didn't surprise me that they had the air condition cranked.

"Hey, can I get a shot with you guys too?" I asked, wanting a real photo of me with my cousins.

"Of course." Chase grinned, though Adam declined.

"Nope." He replied. Everyone looked at him. "Hey, I offered him a head shot. He had his chance."

Bree sighed and pushed him forwards as Leo handed the phone to Calla. They all got in the shot with me. Adam, Leo, and Chase stood behind me slightly, while Bree put her hand on my shoulder.

Calla snapped the photo, but I was too distracted by the sudden shocking sensation that came from Bree's touch. All of a sudden, I felt really weird. Like…restless, as if I had to start moving that moment.

"What was that?" Bree questioned, also having felt the shock.

"Definitely didn't come from the bionic chip he doesn't have." Adam commented. I paid him no mind.

"I feel…weird." I admitted, confused and a little freaked out by the strange feeling in my legs. I swear, they felt like they were about to fall off. "I'm going to go find my dad."

I went to run out into the hall, but when I ran, I really ran. I sped towards the door at an inhuman speed. Caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, I lost control, slamming right into the wall.

"What just happened?" I head Bree demand as I slowly sat up, rubbing my head with a pain grimace on my head.

"Oh no. I think we just activated his bionics." Leo realized. I frowned, not sure what he meant by that. Bionics? I didn't have bionics…did I?

"Well, he sure didn't get the smart chip – he just ran into a wall." Adam commented. I heard the sound of someone hitting him, presumably in the arm.

"Like you haven't done that." Calla commented before walking over to me. "You okay? You feeling concussed at all?"

"No, just confused. What happened? How did I go that?" I replied, looking at her. She observed me for a moment, obviously looking for signs of a concussion, then she offered me her hand.

"I'm not entirely sure." She admitted, helping me up. She looked up at the computer screen. "MISS, could you tell Mr. Davenport and Douglas to come up to the mentors' quarters? And have them bring an ice pack."

" _Of course, Miss Calla."_  A disembodied, but distinctly female, voice replied as Calla led me over to the couch. Within a few seconds, we could hear footsteps in the hall.

"What happened?" Uncle Donald demanded, walking through the door. My dad was right behind him, a concerned look on his face.

"He super speeded into a wall." Calla announced, taking the ice pack from him. She handed it to me with a gentle smile and I held it up to my head.

"One minute I'm taking a picture in a capsule, and then next I have 'super speed'." I quoted Calla before looking at the two men.

"The capsule – he must have activated his bionic chip." Uncle Donald told my dad.

"I have a bionic chip?" I questioned, looking at them.

"Uh…" Dad panicked a bit, looking around for someone to help it out. When no one spoke up, he forced a smile onto his face. "Surprise?"

I just stared at him. "Wait, so he has super speed? That's his ability?" Leo questioned.

"Not exactly." Dad admitted. He sat down next to me and addressed me specifically. "I gave you an ability called Power Duplication. You can absorb the abilities of any bionic person you touch, but if you touch another person, their powers replace the first one."

"Are you serious?" I stared at my hands, unable to believe this. "I'm bionic?"

"You told me you never figured out power replication!" Uncle Donald accused.

"Yeah, I asked you for help back when I was designing my own bionics and you said you'd never even come close!" Calla agreed, upset.

"Surprise?" Douglas repeated himself, much to both of their annoyance.

"Well, what did you know? He lied to you. Just like you both lied to me about Iggy and Pascal!" Leo accused.

"Dude, I will buy you a new hamster if you will just let it go!" Calla exclaimed, frustrated.

"And neither of those are as bad as Bree eating my Jerky Jacket." Adam cut Leo off from responding. He looked at his sister. "Have you seen your coat lately? You may notice a sleeve missing."

Bree looked at him. "You ate my winter jacket?" She demanded.

"And your leather skirt." He added. "It was a wardrobe buffet."

"Well, at least you all had fun at the amusement park!" Chase snapped.

"Not as much fun as we had at your seventeenth birthday party." Bree replied. Chase frowned.

"I didn't have a seventeenth birthday party – I decided not to do anything big for it because of everything that was going with the Krane." He reminded them.

"Yeah, you did. You just weren't invited." Bree told him.

Chase looked at her, then at the rest of his siblings. "What?"

"Jaden made the cake." Calla admitted.

"I blew out your candles." Leo sounded proud of himself. They all began arguing over whose lie was the cruelest.

"Hey!" I shut them all up as I stood up, dropping the ice pack to the floor. "I'm pretty sure the biggest lie was my dad not telling me I'm bionic."

"Really?" Adam was the first to speak. "I'm pretty sure the biggest lie is we're not your cousins, we're your brothers and sister."

I stared at them, surprised. But then again, why should I be? This entire family was a family of liars. I slowly turned back to my father, upset. "You lied to me about that to." I said, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice.

"I swear, I was coming in here to tell you the truth about everything." He tried to tell me.

"Sure you were." As if I'd believe him now. Shaking my head, I began to walk away.

"See, this is why I didn't want him coming here. I shouldn't have let you all push me into it." I stopped at the door when those words hit me like a freight train. He didn't want me here. He probably never wanted to meet me either.

"You don't even want me here?" I asked, sounding like a little kid. Douglas looked at me apologetically.

"Of course I do." He told me. "I just meant I-"

"You know what? Forget it." I sniffled a bit, trying not to look as hurt as I felt. At the very least, I wasn't about to cry in front of them or anything. "You said we made a good team. Guess you lied about that to."

I walked away, not really wanting to face any of them. I would have left the island right then if I'd known how to use the hydroloop, but since I didn't I began to wander the halls aimlessly, trying to avoid my so-called family.

** Calla's POV **

"Where could he have gone?" I muttered, stepping out into the sunshine. We had all split up in groups of two, trying to find where Daniel had gone. The hydroloop hadn't been activated, so there was no way he wasn't on the island, but we were still having trouble location the younger boy. I looked around at the sandy beach, wondering if it was indeed possible that he'd gone outside. It was when I heard the distinct sounds of someone skipping rocks on the water that I knew my hunch had been right.

"Leo!" I called over my shoulder before following the noise. Sure enough, Daniel was standing at the edge of the sand area, skipping stones across the water. "Hey."

He looked up in surprise. "Oh, hey Calla, Leo."

"What are you doing out here?" Leo questioned, walking up behind me.

"Skipping stones and blowing kisses to those girls on that yacht." The boy replied, blowing a kiss towards a passing boat. Leo and I exchanged glances.

"Uh, that's not a yacht. It's a shrimp boat." I corrected.

"And those girls are not girls." Leo added.

"Oh." Daniel shrugged before skipping another rock across the water.

"Damn, you have a good arm, kid." I complimented, watching it go. He shrugged, not answering. Leo sighed.

"Look, I know you're upset." He told Daniel, who'd stopped to listen. "But Douglas is a good guy. It's not that he didn't want you here; it's that he just didn't want to mess up your normal life."

"Normal life?" Daniel repeated, looking at us like we were crazy. "The dude stuck a computer chip in my neck. I think we're WAY past normal."

"Fair enough." I agreed. "But normal's relative, Daniel. You were leading a normal despite the bionic chip, and he didn't want to screw it up."

"Right." Daniel grabbed another stone and threw it across the water, it bouncing a good five or six times before sinking. Leo smirked.

"Here, let me show you how to really skip something." Leo held out his hand, activating his pyrokinesis. A fireball appeared in his hand, much to Daniel's amazement. Leo grinned at the look on his face, then flung the fireball at the water. It bounced several times before finally fizzling out.

"Sweet!" Daniel grinned. "I wish I could do that."

"Well you can." I offered. He looked at me. "Use your power replication ability."

"Really?" The kid looked surprised.

"Yeah." Leo nodded. "Here, touch my arm. Just don't get overwhelmed by all the muscle."

"What muscle?" Daniel frowned.

"Just touch it." Leo urged. Daniel tapped his arm, the limb glowing slightly at the contact.

"Good. Now hold out your hand." I instructed, having watched Leo do this a million times before. Daniel followed my instructions, holding out his hand. A small fireball appeared in it, swirling around just above his palm.

"Whoa! Cool!" He grinned. However, his smile soon faded. "Hot. Hot! HOT!"

"Throw it!" I exclaimed. Daniel did, and we watched as his fireball leapt across the ocean, bouncing on the waves at high speeds.

"Not bad!" Leo complimented.

"Yeah. Mine went farther than yours!" Daniel beamed, while Leo scowled.

'It's not a competition, Daniel!" He muttered childishly. Daniel looked at him and Leo sighed before smiling. "Check it out. Curve ball!"

He threw the fireball into the air and it turned in mid air, flying at a different angle towards the water. "I bet I can do that too!" Daniel exclaimed, throwing his own fireball before we could stop him.

This fireball curved far too much and flew back at us, almost like a boomerang. We all ducked low, even though the fireball was far above our heads. It slammed right into the fuel tank behind us, gas seeping out of it with a hiss.

"What did I do?" Daniel demanded, eyes wide.

"Your fireball cracked the fuel tank." Leo realized. I nodded, though I was a little relieved. A fireball hitting a fuel tank…we were lucky it hadn't exploded on contact.

"That's the hydrogen the fuels the hydroloop." I elaborated. "Without it, we'll all be stuck on the island."

"We need to get help." Leo decided. We both began to run towards the Academy, while Daniel began jumping up and down, waving his arms like a maniac. "What are you doing?"

"Waving down that shrimp boat." He explained. "I'm trying to get a ride home before my dad finds out."

I sighed, shaking my head. That kid was WAY too much like Douglas.

** Daniel's POV **

Calla and Leo weren't gone very long, only a couple of minutes. "It's getting worse!" I called as they came running towards me. "Another crack opened up."

"I told MISS to get Adam, Bree, and Chase down here. They'll be here soon." Calla informed me. I had no idea who, or what, MISS was, but I didn't argue with her.

"Leo, can't you just stick your bionic fingers in there to stop the gas from coming out?" I questioned.

"My fingers aren't bionic; it's just my arm." My cousin replied.

"Really? That's just kinda sad." I commented.

"Agreed." Calla chuckled lightly, much to Leo's annoyance. He didn't have a chance to argue with her though, because seconds later Adam, Bree, and Chase came barreling through the trees towards us.

"What happened?" Chase demanded.

"Daniel accidently fired a fireball at the hydroloop fuel tank." Calla explained quickly. "We got lucky and it didn't combust, but it's still leaking fuel."

"The first crack must have let oxygen into the tank, which means the pressure is intensifying."

"Exactly what I thought." Calla nodded. "We need to fix those cracks, or that thing is going to blow and take out the whole island, us included."

"Calla, don't be so dramatic. It's just a few little cracks." Leo rolled his eyes at her. Suddenly, the tank groaned frighteningly, as if it was about to explode. "WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?"

"Maybe I can use my heat vision to seal the cracks." Adam offered.

"No!" Calla snapped quickly. Chase nodded.

"She's right. That gas is flammable." He explained.

"Well, how else are we supposed to stop the leaks?" Leo demanded. They all exchanged looks, clearly thinking.

"Wait a second. What if we do the opposite?" Bree suddenly suggested. "Adam, use your enhanced lung capacity to freeze the outside of the tanks."

"Good idea, Bree." Chase nodded.

"On it." Adam stepped forward and took a deep breath. He then expelled it, a strong gust of icy cold air hitting the tank. The edges of the tank slowly began to get colder, but not quick enough. "It's not working!" Adam protested, taking another deep breath.

"Wait." I stepped up a bit. "Can't I replicate his lung capacity and double the force?"

"Uh…" Chase thought about it. "Yes, yes you can."

"Daniel, touch Adam!" Calla instructed. I did as I was told, tapping Adam's arm.

"Now what?" I questioned.

"Blow!" Everyone else exclaimed. I took a deep breath and mimicked Adam, blowing a strong cold wind at the tank. In no time, the tank was covered in ice and had stopped leaking gasses.

"Hey, it's working!" I heard Leo say in the background. "Aw, man. I want power replication."

Adam and I continued to freeze the tank until it had completely frozen over, with no chance of it melting any time soon. Everyone grinned and cheered, hugging each other.

"Great job, Daniel. You just completely your first bionic mission!" Bree congratulated, hugging me.

"That was awesome!" I grinned. "I gotta go tell my dad!"

I ran off, only to accidently activate the super speed I must have copied from Bree. I ran right into a rock, once again caught off guard by the speed.

"Ouch." This time, it was Leo who helped me up. Adam sighed.

"Keep making bionic kids and eventually you're going to get a dumb one." He muttered. We all looked at him, even me.

** xxx **

After Calla called some of the maintenance crew to properly deal with the tank (because we were kidding ourselves if we thought that a hydrogen tank sitting outside on a tropical island would stay frozen for more than a couple of hours) my brothers, my sister, my cousin, and Calla had gone back up to the mentor's quarters to hang out. I had gone downstairs briefly, just long enough to tell my dad what happened before going back to them.

"Hey." I walked back into the room, finding them all sitting around chatting. Chase was in the arm chair, with Adam sitting on the edge of it, while the girls had the couch and Leo was just standing nearby.

"Hey, did you tell your dad how you froze the fuel tank?" Leo questioned, leaning against the couch.

"Yep." I nodded, sitting down on the couch between Bree and Calla. "But I might not have told him I was the one who cracked it…he's going to be really mad, huh?"

"Probably." Calla admitted, sighing.

"Unless, he doesn't find out about it." Bree suggested. I looked at her.

"So, we're going to lie?" I asked.

"Sounds good." "Works for me." "It's kinda what we do." The guys replied.

"Besides, it's not so much a lie as it is a bionic secret." Calla reasoned. I nodded and leaned back in MY seat.

"I'm liking my new family." I announced, much to everyone's amusement. My dad chose that moment to walk into the room.

"Guys, uh…can you give me a sec with Daniel?" Douglas requested.

"Absolutely. We don't want to watch this train wreck." Adam replied, quickly leading everyone out of the room. I stayed seated, a little nervous about how this was going to go.

"Look." Dad sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about your bionics. I just didn't want to ruin your life."

"Ruin my life?" I repeated, staring at him. "Do you know how many girls I would have gotten if I'd known I had bionics? Hell, even Chase has a hot girlfriend!"

"Yeah, but Calla's…one of a kind. Trust me, if he loses her, he's never getting another girl." My dad told me, sitting down beside me. "I do get what you're saying, though. I guess I just always thought you'd freak out."

"That's 'cause you didn't know me." I pointed out. "Which is why I came here in the first place."

My dad considered that. "Give me another chance?" He looked at me hopefully.

I stood up. "I guess I could." I admitted. "Depending on what other bionics you can give me."

Dad chuckled at that. "Why don't we start with a monthly allowance instead?" He asked, pulling out his wallet. He grimaced, noticing that it was empty. "Actually, I'm a little short right now. How about some heat vision?"

He put his arm around my shoulder and led me out of the room, both of us grinning.

** Calla's POV **

While Douglas and Daniel had their little chat, we'd retreated to the main classroom to chill. Well, all except for Bree, who'd disappeared into the kitchen about twenty minutes ago.

"So, when are Jaden and the students due back?" Leo asked, curious.

"A couple of hours, I think." I replied before looking at him. "Why?"

"No reason." He replied quickly. A little too quickly.

"What are you…" I began, but stopped when Bree walked into the room.

"Guys, I think it's time we cleared the air about all those lies." She announced, unaware of the previous conversation.

"Agreed." I nodded before glancing at Chase. "Sorry about not inviting you to the amusement park."

"Or your birthday party." Adam added.

"It's okay guys." Chase assured us.

"And Adam, I'm sorry about your jacket. I felt so bad I made you some beef jerky glasses." She pulled out a pair of beef jerky glasses from her back pocket. Adam smiled, but shook his head.

"Thank you, but I already have a pair." He told her. She shrugged and took a bite of them, not particularly caring.

"And Leo, I'm sorry about not telling you about Pascal. The next time I get a chance, I will go to the pet store and get you a Pascal Junior." I promised him.

"Actually, could you get me a goldfish? I left last weekend to go see my mom and when I came back, Goldy was dead. I still have no idea what happened, but it'd be nice to use the bowl again." He told me. I bit my lip nervously.

"Yeah, of course. No problem. Such a shame about Goldy. You have no idea what happened?" I asked, feigning innocence. No need to stir the pot by telling him what happened. After all, it WAS an accident…

"Hey everybody." Douglas saved me as he, Mr. Davenport, and Daniel walked into the room. "Daniel's taking off."

"Hey, goodbye Daniel." We all said goodbye, though I was the only one who went in for a hug, likely because I was the only one that he couldn't copy powers from.

"It was great meeting you, kid." I told him.

"Yeah, you're the best surprise brother we ever had." Chase commented. Leo sent him a glare. "No offense, Leo."

"Yeah, we still like you." Adam assured him. "You're just old news."

"Alright." Leo shrugged, over it already.

"So, I know you gotta go back to the mainland, but maybe you could come visit in a couple of weeks?" Douglas suggested.

"Or sooner, if I need some extra cash." Daniel replied. I smirked, especially once I saw Douglas' expression.

"Are you blackmailing me?" He questioned.

"Yup." Daniel popped the P at the end, not even the least bit guilty. Douglas observed him for a moment before grinning.

"That's my boy." He cheered, patting Daniel's shoulder.

"And if you ever want to just hang out with your Uncle Donald, say the word and I'll have Calla clear my schedule." Mr. Davenport offered.

"Actually, I gotta go." Daniel announced. He hopped onto the hydroloop. "Bye guys! I'll text you, or something."

"Cool." "Safe travels." We waved back at him as he left.


	26. Space Colony

** Calla's POV **

"Ugh!" I groaned, leaning my head back to lay it on Chase's shoulder. It was smoldering outside, the heat wave making it feel as if we were in the middle of a microwave. And since I've been nearly microwaved to death, I can attest to that.

"I am SO glad Mr. Davenport decided to cancel classes today." Bree exclaimed, fanning herself with a magazine. "It is way too hot to train."

"Agreed." Leo told her as the rest of us nodded. By this point, all of us, students and mentors alike, had changed into regular summer stuff. Most of the girls were in tank tops, while a number of the guys had ditched their shirts altogether.

"Jaden had the right idea, bailing before we all melted." I mentioned. My brother was currently up in freaking Canada (lovely, cold Canada) visiting some old friends of his who'd left to study abroad.

"Yeah, well lucky for you, I'm a bionic air conditioner." Adam sighed, pushing away from the wall. He sucked in a deep breath, ready to blast us with his vortex breath ability.

"Uh, Adam, nobody wants your disgusting breath blown all ov-" Chase's protest was cut off as Adam blew a blast of icy cold air at us. We all leapt to our feet, determined to take advantage of the refreshing cold wind. "Oh, good heavens! That is so much better!"

That was how Mr. Davenport and Tasha found us, letting Adam blow all over us for our enjoyment.

"Hey guys." Luckily for us, they'd long gotten used to our weirdness.

"Hey!" We all grinned, surprised to see her. She'd been coming to the Academy more and more lately, but we still expected her to be home, where it was slightly cooler.

"Mom, what are you doing here in the middle of the week?" Leo inquired, smiling. "Did you finally give up that two-bit job as a local news reporter?"

Tasha gave him a look, not answering him. "Ahem." Mr. Davenport cleared his throat, calling attention back to himself, as per usual. "Everybody, I have a very important announcement. I, Donald Davenport-"

"Here we go again." Bree muttered, only for Chase to hush her.

"I, Donald Davenport," Mr. Davenport restarting, giving her a dirty look, "am the first person to create a livable environment on another planet."

"What?" The others sounded confused, while I was merely surprised. I knew that Mr. Davenport had created a colony on another planet – he had me do background checks on the people he was sending up there – but he'd also told me that he didn't want the others to know about it.

"Behold, my very own space colony!" Mr. Davenport announced, hitting a button on the main consol. A picture of the space colony appeared on the screen behind him. Everyone grinned at the sight of it, astonished by it.

"You colonized a planet?" Chase demanded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it was top secret! And because every time I tell you guys anything, you blow it up, burn it down, crack it in half, or sink it!"

"Hey, that is not true!" Adam objected. "Remember your top secret underwater lab?"

"The one we flooded?" I reminded him.

"There was no fire, sinking, cracking, or exploding involved that time." Adam insisted, and while he was technically right, I doubted that Mr. Davenport cared.

"Looks cool." Bree offered, gesturing at the space colony. "Is that Mars?"

"Please, Mars?" Mr. Davenport scoffed. "Mars is for amateurs. I colonized a planet in an entirely different galaxy."

"By the way, he also discovered an entirely different galaxy." I mentioned, trying to be helpful.

Chase sent us both a betrayed glare. "How dare you?" He hissed.

"The planet is called Lithios." I continued, bringing up the data on my tablet. "The high tech dome mimics Earth's environment, providing oxygen and gravity for the fifty colonists that Mr. Davenport handpicked for the project."

"I am also the honorary mayor of the colony, which I have named Davenportia." Mr. Davenport added, grinning proudly.

"Shocking." Bree commented sarcastically.

"I keep asking him to rename it Callacity or Parker Place, but he just won't budge on that name." Calla said loudly, giving the man a look. He just ignored her.

"Those colonists have been living there for almost a month and they're loving every Daven-minute of it."

"Sure they are." Adam rolled his eyes.

"Well, pretty soon, you're going to get a chance to meet them." Mr. Davenport announced. "That's right. We are going on a family vacation to space."

We all exchanged excited looks. "Wait," Tasha stopped him, "you told me we were going to Greece."

"Well, Davenportia is the Greece of space." Mr. Davenport replied, trying to cover for his lie. I cleared my throat.

"Just to be clear, does this 'family' vacation include your favorite non-family member?" I requested.

"If I said no, would you just sneak aboard the shuttle anyway?" Mr. Davenport countered.

"Obviously." I replied.

"Then yes, you're invited." He told us. I beamed happily. Oh man, this was going to be awesome.

"Anyway, it's going to be a lot cooler up there." Mr. Davenport continued, wiping his forehead. "It is way too hot here today."

"No worries. I got you covered." Adam sent a wave of cold air at Mr. Davenport, catching him off guard. Unfortunately, Adam didn't put as much control into this gust, and sent Mr. Davenport flying into the wall of the hydroloop.

"That's going to leave a Daven-stain." Leo sighed, shaking his head.

** Chase's POV **

"Wow." It was the only word that came to mind as I stared at the incredible thing of beauty in front of me. Mr. Davenport didn't just have his own space ship, he had a cool space ship. It was sleek, white and blue, with plenty of room on the inside. There was the main area, with several chairs near the front and a couple of chairs sitting around a table in the back. There was also a sleeping quarters, a small kitchenette, a bathroom, and a storage area in behind the main section, all decked out with clear, blue lights.

"Welcome to my intergalactic space craft." Mr. Davenport announced, walking past us with his arms outstretched. "My pride and joy. Isn't she beautiful?"

He began stroking one of the metal bars on the ship, a smile full of adoration on his face. "Wow." Tasha looked around. "I never thought I'd be jealous of a space ship."

"Oh, come on, honey. Don't be jealous." Mr. Davenport assured her. "You don't stand a chance against this thing."

"I really like these outfits." Calla commented, stretching her arms. She was decked out in a black uniform clearly made to protect us during our flight. "They're comfy."

"I just can't believe this space ship has been under the island all this time." Adam said.

"Well, that explains why he didn't make us live in the basement." Bree replied, smirking. Mr. Davenport didn't even bother to deny it.

"Mr. Davenport, this is awesome." I told him. "If I was a nerd, I would totally be geeking out right now."

"You are a nerd." Calla commented. I gave her a look, but didn't try to deny it. I was just too excited about all of this.

"Whoa." Leo's voice got my attention. He was staring at a section of the wall where a metal suit, similar to the exoskeleton, hung. "What's that?"

"My high-velocity escape suit." Mr. Davenport replied. "It's made out of an ultra-protective material that will allow me to fly back to earth in case we encounter any kind of emergency while in space."

"But there's only one suit." Bree pointed out, confused. "What about the rest of us?"

"Then the rest of you better hope there's no emergencies." Mr. Davenport replied, smirking. Adam laughed and grabbed the helmet of the suit, putting it on.

"I am Zolton, leader of the planet Darkon!" He announced loudly. "Bow to me, puny inferior beings."

I rolled my eyes. "Adam," I tried to get him to stop.

"Who is this Adam you speak of?" He questioned, staying in character. "I am Zolton!"

"Adam!" I snapped.

"Zolton!" He insisted.

"Give me that helmet!" I demanded.

"No I will not!" He refused. "Zolton does not understand the human language."

The others laughed at that, while I rolled my eyes. "But he speaks it?" I questioned. Adam stopped, realizing his mistake.

"Zolton will get back to you when he has an answer for that." He told me, taking off the helmet and putting it back on the display.

"Hey," Calla smacked my arm lightly, "lighten up. Let him have some fun."

"And if his fun breaks the helmet, then no one can use the escape suit." I pointed out. She shrugged, but acknowledged that I was right. "Alright guys, as your mission leader, it's my responsibility to inform you of what to do in case of an emergency. Since we'll be travelling at speeds greater than 186,000 miles per second-"

"Blah, blah, blah. Chase, I got this." Adam cut me off before clearing his throat and beginning to talk like a flight attendant. "Ladies and gentlemen, there are two exits on the aircraft; one in the front and in the rear. In the event of a water landing, Chase can be used as a floatation device."

"Oh, ha-" Adam took the opportunity to 'show' everyone how I could be used as a floatation device by jumping on my shoulders. I stumbled under his weight, ignoring the laughter, and pushed him off me.

"Okay, everyone in the front except for Adam!" I shouted.

"What? Why am I in the back?" He protested.

"Because you are so immature!" I snapped. "You can't even pay attention to my safety directives, and I don't feel like travelling across two galaxies hearing 'ooh, what does this button do?' eight hundred times!"

Adam looked at me, annoyed. "I am not immature., and for your information, I know what all these buttons do. Like this one right here works the windshield wipers."

Adam hit the wrong button and started the ignition, shooting the space craft into space. Everyone grabbed onto something for dear life, not at all prepared for our sudden take off. "Chase!" Adam shouted from the seat he'd managed to get into. "What do we do in an emergency again?"

Eventually, we did manage to get the ship under control and everyone took their seats. Adam was in the back, per my request.

"Wow." Leo murmured as we passed by Earth's moon. "Look at the moon."

From the back, I heard Adam groan. "Are we there yet?"

"No." Mr. Davenport told him.

** Xxx **

"Check out Mars." Calla beamed, staring at the red planet.

"Are we there yet?" Adam groaned.

"No!" Mr. Davenport snapped.

** Xxx **

"Wow, look at Saturn." Bree laughed in disbelief.

"Are we there yet?" Adam sounded frustrated.

"No." Mr. Davenport replied, also frustrated.

** Xxx **

"Are we there yet?" Adam asked for what must have been the millionth time.

"Adam," I said warningly, "if you ask 'are we there yet' one more time, I swear I'm gonna lose it."

"Kay, sorry." He grumbled in response. There was a brief moment of silence, then, "How much longer 'till we get there?"

I leapt out of my seat, ready to strangle him. "Chase!" Calla grabbed me by the wrist, trying to restrain me without having to leave her seat.

"Everybody relax!" Mr. Davenport shouted, stopping us. "Now that we've left the solar system, we can initiate hyper speed."

"Sit down." Calla instructed, tugging on my arm. I sighed, grumbling complaints under my breath, but I did as I was told.

"What's hyper speed?" Tasha questioned, suspicious. Mr. Davenport beamed.

"This." He announced, slamming the palm of his hand down on one of the buttons. Immediately, the space craft's speed quadrupled, sending us speeding through the stars.

** Calla's POV **

Finally, after a few hours of Chase and Adam fighting, and a few hours of us all trying to ignore them, we landed on the planet of Lithios. Mr. Davenport quickly had us leave the shuttle while his employees who'd been stationed here ensured that the space craft was fueled up and ready for our departure.

Mr. Davenport led us down a large hallway, the walls made of some sort of transparent material (I'd say glass, but there's no way it would hold up in the conditions outside) so we could look out at the planet.

At the end of the hall was a set of doors, which opened up into what I figured must have been a common area for the colonists. The walls were huge, with large white columns holding up the transparent dome that surrounded the colony. To our left was a massive cafeteria, while the right wall had four different sets of doors on it. I knew, from looking at Mr. Davenport's schematics, that one of the doors led to a hall full of living quarters, one of the led to a control room, another led to bathrooms and the fourth led to another common area. Colonists were hanging around the common area and cafeteria, too caught up in their own conversations to pay us much attention.

"Welcome to Davenportia!" Mr. Davenport announced, walking past me. "Isn't it beautiful? Who needs Greece when you can come here?"

"It's lovely." Tasha admitted. "But if you really want to make it up to me, you should rename it Tashadonia."

Mr. Davenport laughed at the very idea. "Oh, honey. You know I love me more than I love you."

Tasha gave him a dirty look, but didn't comment.

"Hey, what's this big bubble for?" Adam questioned, pointing at the dome.

"It's not a bubble, it's a dome." Chase explained. Adam shrugged.

"Don't care, still want to pop it." He replied.

"You can't." I told him. "It protects us and everyone else here from the planet's natural elements. Without that dome, there'd be no oxygen, and we'd all die."

"Donald, that sounds dangerous." Tasha looked at her husband.

"It is." Mr. Davenport agreed. "That's why I didn't tell these guinea pigs until I had Calla collect their signed paperwork."

Some of the 'guinea pigs' looked over at Mr. Davenport, giving him a harsh look. "Hi, how're you doing?" He greeted, oblivious to their annoyance. I looked around the room a bit more until I, shockingly, caught sight of a familiar face among the colonists.

"You've got to be kidding me." I muttered, surprised. Chase frowned, looking at me.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I didn't answer, instead pointing to the short, red headed woman who was sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria.

"I don't care if you're not the waiter!" Terry Perry exclaimed, looking at one of the colonists. "I want more space pancakes!"

"Perry?" Leo demanded, staring at her. "What are you doing up here?"

"Wherever the bus stops, I get off." Perry replied nonchalantly, walking over to us.

"Forget that! How did you get here?!" Mr. Davenport seemed pretty angry that his least favorite employee managed to sneak into his top secret space colony.

"I snuck up here weeks ago with the rest of these bozos!" She replied, smirking. "I can blend in anywhere. I spent three months on the South Korean gymnastics team!"

"How dare you sneak up here uninvited." Tasha snapped, annoyed. Perry rolled her eyes and glanced at a nearby colonist who'd been nice enough to bring her pancakes.

"That's Tasha; the one I was telling you about." She mentioned.

"That's a new low." Tasha commented. "I've never been badmouthed on another planet before."

"Oh, I doubt that's true." Perry laughed, taking the pancakes from the colonist.

** xxx **

Mr. Davenport let us roam free after that, allowing us to check out the different parts of the colony. Figuring that we'd have time to explore later, Leo and I followed my boss down to the control room, both of us curious to see what that looked like.

"This command center is the electronic nervous system of Davenportia," Mr. Davenport explained, sitting down in front of a computer screen, "From this chair, I can monitor all the activity in the colony."

To prove his point, he showed us a live feed of the cafeteria, where Perry was trying to steal some food off of someone's plate.

"Man, you old people do anything to just sit around and watch TV all day," Leo commented, not very interested.

"Love the colony, Mr. Davenport," Bree announced, leading her brothers into the room.

"Thanks." He smiled. "And this is just the beginning. Soon, there will be Davenportias through the universe."

"I don't know if aliens exist," Bree admitted, "but if they do, they are going to hate you."

"True that," I agreed, smirking.

"I have a very important scientific question," Adam told us, sounding serious. We exchanged bemused looks (I don't think Adam's ever even used the word 'scientific' before) but kept listening, "While we're here, is it okay if I eat stuff off the ground?"

"No," Mr. Davenport told him. He sighed.

"Okay, follow up question," Adam continued, "How do I regurgitate stuff I've eaten off the ground?"

Chase sighed irritably. "You see?" He questioned, "This is what I'm talking about. Mature people don't eat stuff off the ground."

"Uh, not our biggest concern, baby." I announced, looking at the computer screen. "Mr. Davenport? I think we have a problem."

The computer screen had switched seconds ago, going from a feed of the cafeteria to an image of a satellite, the words 'LOST SIGNAL' flashing on it.

"Oh no," he muttered, tapping a few keys, "The main communication satellite is down."

"What happened?" Chase asked, confused.

"I don't know," Mr. Davenport admitted, "Something must have hit it. Asteroid, space debris…now we have no way of communicating with the Earth."

"We'll need to repair it," I warned. He nodded and looked at Adam, Bree, and Chase.

"I need you three to take the space craft up and repair the Satellite. Calla, Leo and I will stay here and reestablish contact once it's up and running." He instructed.

"Let's go." Chase ordered before walking out, Bree following him. Adam, meanwhile, was too preoccupied pulling some hair off a granola bar. "Adam, he just told you not to eat stuff off the floor up here."

"Relax," Adam rolled his eyes. "I got this off the floor at home."

Chase shook his head and forcibly pushed Adam out the door. I glanced at Leo.

"Twenty bucks says Chase tries to strangle him before the hour's up?" I suggested. Leo smirked.

"You're on." He agreed, shaking my hand to seal the deal.

** Leo's POV **

"They should almost be at the satellite." Big D told us as he led us through the cafeteria. "As soon as they fix the problems, communications will be restored and everything will be back to normal."

"Right." I agreed. "If normal is living a trillion miles from home in an egomaniacs space bubble."

"Well, normal is a relative term." Calla mentioned, shrugged. She opened her mouth to add something else, but stopped when a loud, menacing alarm blared into our ears. "What the hell is that?"

"It's the dome's emergency system. Something must have punctured it." Big D replied, looking confused. We all began to scan the ceiling, looking for a hole. "Look!"

I followed Big D's gaze, catching sight of a large, gaping hole near the top of the dome. Oxygen was being quickly pulled out, like a vacuum.

"First your satellite goes down, and now there's a hole in the dome?" I questioned, suspicious. "I'm sorry, but your colony's only getting two stars in my online review."

"There's no way that's a coincidence." Calla mentioned, looking at Big D.

"You're probably right, but we can't worry about that right now." He told her."If we don't patch that hole, all the oxygen in the colony will be sucked out in a matter of hours and we'll all be dead!"

"Excuse me?" Tasha demanded, overhearing us.

"Stop talking, Tasha! You're sucking up all the oxygen!" He snapped, more than a little panicky.

** Chase's POV **

After setting us on a course to the satellite, I quickly climbed into the space suit that was aboard the shuttle. Although nowhere near as advanced as Mr. Davenport's escape suit, it would still do its job and protect me while I fixed the satellite. "Alright, we're at the satellite." I announced, glancing at my brother. "Adam, help me put on my jetpack."

"Sure, but first, there's something I always wanted to try." He announced. "Blowing a bubble in zero gravity."

Before I could object, he hit the button that turned off the gravity simulator and we all began to float. He slowly blew a pink bubble out of his mouth, laughing in amazement when it floated alongside him. "Whoa, awesome!"

"That is so cool!" Bree laughed. I looked at her and she quickly amended her statement. "Childish, but cool."

"More bubbles, coming up." Adam grinned, blowing another one. I rolled my eyes, annoyed.

"Adam, stop." I ordered. "If that gum gets on any of the equipment, Mr. Davenport is going to freak out."

Of course, he ignored me, continuing to blow bubbles. "Adam!" I snapped. He continued to ignore me. "That's it!" I decided, using a nearby metal bar to propel myself forward. I sent him an angry glare, then popped the nearest bubble.

"Hey!" He protested, upset. "You're a black hole of fun!"

And with that, he slammed his hand down on the button for the gravity simulator, turning it back down. Unable to right myself before it activated, I landed flat on my stomach, the air rushing out of my lungs.

I stumbled back to my feet, only to realize that the gum from Adam's bubble was all over my gloves. "Seriously?" I complained, "You got gum all over my gloves!"

I let out an annoyed groan and resolved to get the jetpack on myself.

** Xxx **

I used the jetpack to push me towards the satellite, not letting go of the button until I reached the satellite.

" _Chase,"_  Bree's voice came out of my ear piece,  _"Can you see anything?"_

"No." I frowned, looking over the satellite. Nothing appeared to be malfunctioning at all. "I don't get it. There's no structural damage. Hang on, I'll do a scan."

I quickly scanned the structure using my bionic brain, but what it showed me was even stranger. "Well, that's weird. The signal shut off at the colony. Someone back there must be tampering with it."

" _Who would do that?"_  Bree questioned.

" _I don't know."_  Adam inputted.  _"But this sounds like a job for Zolton. I'll get the helmet."_

"No." Bree stopped him. I sighed.

"Hang on; I'm coming in." I warned them, trying to get the jetpack to send me backwards, but I couldn't get the controls to work.

"Uh, Chase, the door's over here, bud." Bree reminded me.

"I know!" I snapped, hitting the jetpack controller. "Adam's gum jammed the controls! They're stuck! Hang on, I've got it."

As it turns out, I didn't have it. I accidently made the jetpack malfunction and before I knew what was happening, I was flying through space, away from the space craft.

"What are you doing?" Bree demanded.

"It won't stop! AH!" I screamed, trying and failing to regain control. I kept flying farther and farther away, away from the ship and out of the comm. links range.

** Xxx **

"AH!" I screamed as I hurtled towards a planet. I'd been flying aimlessly through space for nearly an hour now, and things had just gone from bad to worse. The planet's atmosphere was pulling me in, and there was nothing I could do about it. With a last hope at survival, I activated my force field and prepared to be sucked in.

** Calla's POV **

"Alright, I found two jetpacks." Leo announced, running over to us with a couple of jetpacks and space suits in his arms. "I couldn't find a third, sorry."

"Who's going up, then?" I asked. Mr. Davenport considered it.

"Leo and I will go up and patch the hole." He decided. "You're better with crowd control."

"Fair enough." I agreed. I helped them both into the space suits and we ran out to the cafeteria, where most of the colonists were waiting anxiously.

"Donald!" Tasha called, running over to us.

"The hole in the dome is getting bigger." I warned, looking up at the dome. "The pressure is causing more of it to crack – we need to hurry up and patch that hole ASAP."

"Leo, power up your jet pack and let's go." Mr. Davenport instructed.

"On it." Leo agreed. Tasha looked at them worriedly.

"Are you sure this is safe?" She questioned. "He's just a boy."

"Maybe they can hold hands while they're up there." I suggested sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I liked Tasha and all, but something her overprotective love of Leo got in the way of missions.

"Calla!" Leo snapped, giving me a look before glancing at Mr. Davenport. "Can we?"

"Everything is going to be fine." Mr. Davenport assured her. "We just have to hurry. Tasha, I need you to help Calla keep the colonists calm. Can you do that?"

"Please, Donald. I don't even need Calla's help for handling a crisis." Tasha assured him before addressing the crowd. "Listen up, colony people!" She screamed. "My name is Tasha Davenport, a major news reporter from the Earth."

"Major?" Mr. Davenport repeated. She gave him a look, then turned back to the crowd.

"As you all know, we are dealing with a horrible disaster. But good news; my husband and son are going up to fix it." The crowd burst into applause. "Which means, most of you probably won't die."

"Oh, yeah. She's got this." I told Mr. Davenport. He gave me a look, and I took over. "Relax, guys. She's just joking. Mr. Davenport built this space dome, fixing it will be a piece of cake. So long as everyone stays calm, and doesn't listen to Tasha, we'll all be just fine. Things will be back to normal before the day's over, I assure you."

The crowd settled at my words and I looked at Tasha. "And that is how you handle a crisis."

"Let's go." Mr. Davenport told Leo. They both activated their jet packs and flew up into the air, heading towards the hole. I glanced at Tasha.

"Can you handle them for a moment?" I requested. "I want to go see is Adam, Bree, and Chase have finished the repairs to the satellite."

"Go." Tasha waved me off and I smiled gratefully. I ran down to the control room, pushing open the door to the room. I quickly sat down at the computer and checked the computer's signal. To my genuine surprise, the connection was still lost.

"What?" I questioned, frowning at it. "Adam, Bree, and Chase should have had that thing fixed ages ago."

Confused as I was, I knew that keeping the crowd calm was my top priority, so I got up to leave. But when I turned around, I ran into an all too familiar face.

I stumbled backwards in surprise, regretting that this was one of the few times I didn't have my plasma gun on me. Not that it mattered; he was too fast for me. I saw a gleam of silver and black as he pulled out a device, a flash of green, then…nothing.

** Chase's POV **

"Chase!" My eyes snapped open at the sound of Bree's voice. I was lying face down on a hard, rocky surface, my brother and sister standing above me.

"Help me up!" I groaned, even as they were already pulling me to my feet.

"Oh my god, how did you survive?" Bree demanded as I tried to get my bearings.

"My force field." I told her. "I activated it before I fell. It must have prevented me from burning up in the atmosphere and cushioned my landing."

I stepped back as a blast of steam exploded from the ground nearby. "Hey, look." Adam pointed at it. "There is intelligent life here. The aliens put their sprinklers on a timer."

"Oh no. They got water on my navigation device!" Bree exclaimed. I looked at said navigation device, lying discarded on the ground. It steamed and melted before our eyes.

"Uh, that's not water." I corrected. "It's acid! Run!"

Bree raced forward, and I followed closely behind her, hoping she was leading us to the spacecraft. It took me a minute to realize that Adam wasn't following us, so I ran back, and pushed him forwards, reminding him that the last place you want to be is in the middle of a field of acid geysers.

When we got back inside the ship, I was surprise to see Perry sitting in the control seat, snacking on blueberries out of a bag.

"Oh, good. You made it back." She hummed. "Two more minutes and I was going to ditch you."

"How is she…" I began before changing my mind. "You know what? I don't even want to know."

"Uh, glad that's over." Adam pulled off his helmet. "That place was scary, right Chase?"

"Don't talk to me." I snapped. He looked at me, confused.

"What, why?" He demanded.

"Because of you, I almost died." I growled furiously.

"We ALL almost died." Bree added.

"Look, guys-" I cut him off before he could continue.

"When are you going to realize that your stupid actions have consequences?" I demanded.

"Chase-" Adam tried again.

"Don't 'Chase' me!" I snapped. "You're always saying that you want to be treated like an adult. Well, here's an idea; who don't you grow up and start acting like one?" To that, he had no response. "Until then, we may be brothers, but I am NOT your friend."

I grabbed my helmet and stormed away, heading to the backroom. Bree followed me shortly after.

"Chase-" She began.

"Don't defend him!" I growled.

"I'm not." She assured me, keeping her voice level. "Adam screwed up, I know that. But he didn't mean for that to happen; don't you think you're being a little harsh on him?"

"No." I growled, unzipping my space suit. I wanted to change quickly, intending on piloting the ship back to the space colony. The sooner we got back there, the better.

** Leo's POV **

Patching the hole turned out to be a more difficult task than I anticipated. We sprayed this weird spray at it (Big D insisted that it would fix the hole) and while we managed to repair most of it, some of it we just couldn't get to.

"The molecular sealant is patching the hole, but there's still one area I can't reach!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed in frustration. "In less than a minute, the dome's going to run out of oxygen."

"Let me try." I grabbed my own spray nozzle.

"No. It's too dangerous." Big D retorted. "You'll probably get sucked out into space. I'll do it."

He used the controller for the jetpack to push him closer to the hole, dangerously closer.

"Big D, be careful!" I warned him. Suddenly, some of the sealant broke, causing a small part of the dome to shatter, and he started flying out of the dome. I reached forward, just able to grab a hold off the spray nozzle that was attached to his bag. "I got you!"

He continued to fly outwards, bring me closer to being sucked out too. "Hold on!" I shouted. "I'll reverse my thrusters!"

With my spare hand, I used the control device to reverse my thrusters, but it wasn't strong enough to pull us back in. "It's not working!" Big D called. "The suction's too strong!"

"I got this!" I insisted, tugging as hard as I could. It was then that I realized that the tubing around the nozzle was starting to break. I was practically holding on by a thread. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh what?" He demanded. I shook my head, knowing that if I told him, it would only make him panic, which would make things worse.

"Nothing." I lied. "When I pull you back in, use the sealant to patch the hole."

"Leo-" He began, but there was no time for arguing.

"Just do it!" I ordered, pulling him in as quickly as I could. "Grab my hand!" I shouted. He grabbed my hand with his right one, his left reaching for the spray nozzle. "Hurry!"

He managed to get a stronger grip on the nozzle and sprayed the hole with the sealant, successfully closing the hole. He managed to perfectly patch the hole, the oxygen in the dome already beginning to replenish itself. "We did it!" He grinned at me.

"You know, in honor of me saving your life, I'm thinking we should rename this place 'Dooleyopolis'." I decided. He looked at me.

"What is it with you, Calla, and your mother trying to put your names on everything?" He questioned hypocritically. I rolled my eyes, already using the jetpack to descend to the floor below us.

Big D pulled off his helmet the minute we touch the ground, ready to kiss the floor. "Feels good to be back on the Daven-ground."

"Hey, where is everyone?" I looked around in confusion. The entire cafeteria was empty, not a single person in sight. "Mom? Calla? Guys?"

"That is weird." Big D hummed, sounding a bit concerned. "Where'd they go?"

"Mr. Davenport!" The doors to our right slid open and Adam, Bree, and Chase ran through. "The satellite is fine. The signal was manipulated from here."

"What? That-that doesn't make any sense." Big D shook his head, baffled.

Suddenly, a set of heavy footsteps drew our attention. Turning around, we saw a large man wearing a black uniform with a dark, menacing mask. "It really is Zolton!" Adam gasped, shocked.

"Who are you?" Chase demanded, looking at the man with narrowed eyes.

"You know exactly who I am." The man replied. I recognized the voice instantly, we all did, but it wasn't until he pulled the mask off did we truly believe that it was indeed Victor Krane standing before us.

He looked the same as before, if not a little more scarred on the face. A large black device was wrapped around his head, covering his mouth and a bit of his nose. "Krane." Big D growled, his eyes full of hatred for the man.

He stepped forward towards us, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I knew you'd show up sooner or later."

"Where's my wife?" Mr. Davenport demanded. "And what have you done with Calla and the colonists?"

"In due time." Krane assured him. "But for now, what do you say we focus on our little reunion?"

We all stepped back into fight stances, except for…Principal Perry. I don't know how she did it, but she must have avoided getting caught by Krane, not that she seemed to happy about that.

"Just for the sake of asking," she began, totally relaxed with the situation, "if we were to sacrifice Tasha…"

"Get over here!" I snapped, pulling her away from Krane.

"We blasted you miles into the sky. How are you even alive?" Bree demanded, glaring at him.

"And what are the odds he'd land here?" Adam added. Krane replied, but his words came out as an incoherent mess.

Chase frowned, looked at us, then back at him. "What?" He asked, confused.

"I said, did…" The rest of it was still completely jumbled.

"Still not getting it, but it sounds like something's jamming your air duct." Adam told him. Krane hit the device around his head once, then looked at us.

"Better?" He questioned.

"Yeah, much." We all replied.

"When I fell back to Earth, I sustained serious injuries. This face plate helps me breathe!" He snapped.

"Well, I think I speak for all of us when I saw it's an upgrade." Big D told him. "Because that chain of paperclips that you had hanging off your face was not working."

Krane raised a hand, and Big D began gasping for air, the telekinetic hold on his neck choking him. After a couple of moments of watching him struggle, Krane threw him to the ground.

"Okay, still got that old trick." Big D rasped, rubbing his throat.

"And a few new ones too." Krane added.

"How did you get up here?" I demanded, looking at him harshly.

"I used the cyber cloak and pretended I was a colonist." He replied before looking at Big D. "Remember Roberta from Kentucky?"

"It all makes sense now. The satellite, the hole in the dome…it was you." Big D realized. Krane nodded.

"When I heard you were creating a space colony in another galaxy, I realized this was my opportunity." He explained.

"To…become a middle aged southern woman?" Adam questioned, confused.

"To create a new base camp for my bionic army!" He shouted. "Far away from any meddling humans."

"Well, you don't have a bionic army, anymore." Bree pointed out. "They work for us now."

"I have a new army: you're colonists." He replied. "They're about to be implanted with bionics. Which brings me to Dr. Gao."

A Chinese man wearing a black suit stepped out of the hall. "Dr. Gao is a scientist that's come up with a new way of creating bionic humans: liquid injections." Krane explained.

"We will never let you put bionics in innocent people." Big D growled.

"You won't have a choice." Krane chuckled. He pulled out a black and silver device. "Remember this? With the Triton App device, I can make you do anything I want."

"Nice try, but the Triton App won't work on us." Chase reminded him. "Mr. Davenport put a block on our chips."

"You may have a block, but your father doesn't!" Krane snapped. He started forward, only for Chase to leap to Big D's defense. Krane was clearly expecting this, however, and raised a hand, a blast of electricity flying from it. It hit Chase right in the chest, electrocuting him.

"Chase!" Big D shouted as Chase collapsed limply to the ground. Krane took advantage of the distraction and held the Triton App device above Big D's head. It glowed green for a brief second, then Big D stood up. His face was blank, his eyes a dark green color.

Krane laughed happily. "Who's your daddy now?"

"Big D!" I shook my step-father, trying in vain to snap him out of it.

"It's too late." Chase groaned, climbing to his feet slowly. "He's already under Krane's control."

"Please, whatever you do, don't turn me into a bionic soldier!" Perry shouted loudly before winking at Krane. "Just putting on a little show for the kids. I'm all yours."

"Pass." Krane told her. "Gao, come and get the newest member of my army."

"Gladly." Gao started towards us.

"Don't even think about it." Adam growled, shooting a blast of heat vision at Gao's head. The doctor raised a hand, blocking the heat vision. It swirled around his hand for a few long moments before he shot it back at us.

We all ducked, avoiding the hit. Gao took advantage of this, grabbing Big D and geoleaping away to who-knows-where. "Wait, he can geoleap?" I demanded.

"When I fell back to Earth, Dr. Gao was the only person who could fix me. Since he's a scientist, I repaid him with my most precious resource: the same bionic secrets Douglas gave me."

Gao reappeared nearby, but instead of Big D, he was carrying a metal container. "And with those secrets, I was able to apply my own science, to create this."

He pulled the lid off of the contained and pulled out a rack of vials, the liquid inside them a radioactive green color. "What is that?" I demanded.

"Liquid bionics." Gao nearly purred with pride. "Once this bionic fluid enters the human bloodstream, the compounds begin to solidify, forming a bionic infrastructure that communicates with the muscles and brain, creating one incredibly powerful, bionic human."

We all looked at it in horror. The things someone could do with that… "Why are you helping a madman?" Bree demanded angrily.

Gao laughed. "Who's to say I'm not madder than he is?"

Krane observed us for a moment, then, "Destroy them."

Gao sent an electric blast at Chase first, knocking him clean off his feet and back onto the ground. Adam charged at Krane angrily, only to be thrown to the ground by Krane's force field. While Bree sped at both of them, knocking both Gao and Krane to the ground, I ran forward, forcibly pulling Chase to his feet.

"We have to get out of here. We can't take them both on, not like this!" Chase hissed. I nodded and helped Bree pull Adam back up, leading my step-siblings out of the room while Krane and Gao were distracted.

We ran in the direction of the control room, Perry following shortly behind us, but I got side tracked when we passed the hall that led to our rooms. Knowing that Calla had the habit of bringing some of cooler toys with her wherever she went (considering the number of we nearly get her killed on a weekly basis, I could hardly blame her), I jogged into what was supposed to be her and Bree's room. I ripped open the duffle bag that was lying on her bed, hoping that there would be something useful in there.

"That a girl." I grinned, pulling out Calla's latest weapon – a large gun, similar to her plasma gun. There were only two differences: one, this one was much larger and could hold more charges, and two, it shot concussion blasts rather than plasma blasts. They had similar effects, but the concussion blasts had the strength of a concussion bomb, so this one was a lot more powerful. Gripping the weapon tight, I headed back down the hall to the control room.

"Guys, we've got to save Calla, Mr. Davenport, and Tasha before Gao and Krane inject them with bionics and turn them into their superhuman soldiers." I heard Chase say.

"Yeah, but it would be cool to see Tasha with bionics." Adam mentioned. "She could be the first flying news woman! She could interview birds!"

"Can you imagine Calla with bionics? That would be way cooler." I heard Bree add. "What do you think…hey, where's Leo?"

"Leo was busy." I announced, walking in with Calla's weapon. "Coming up with his own plan."

"Nice." Chase grinned when he saw the weapon, despite the fact that it was almost too heavy for me to hold. "That's the kind of firepower we need. Where'd you get it?"

"Calla packed it in her bags." I explained.

"Why?" Bree looked confused. I raised an eyebrow.

"She always has a weapon on her these days. Besides, you know she's a sci-fi junkie." I added. "She's seen enough space movies to know that fifth banana gets it right out of the gate."

"Yeah." Bree and Perry agreed.

** Chase's POV **

Once we had a plan, we started looking for Krane and Gao. After a few minutes, we found them all in one of the smaller common rooms, every one of the colonists standing in rows. Calla, Mr. Davenport, and Tasha were standing at the front. All three of them had zombie-like expressions on their faces, devoid of all emotion or thought. But thankfully, they did appear to be unharmed, so that put some of my worries to rest.

Gao and Krane were standing near them, Gao holding a syringe full of the liquid bionics. "Time to begin building our bionic army." Gao announced.

"I say we start with the tiny, vain one." Krane mused, looking at Mr. Davenport.

"Not so fast, chinstrap." Leo called, getting their attention. They both turned to face us. "Didn't think we'd find you, did you?"

"The entire colony is one square mile." Krane reminded him.

"Yeah, well, we walked that mile and we found you." Adam replied, smiling. Gao chuckled in amusement and gestured at the Concussion Blaster in Leo's hands.

"You really think that toy is going to do anything to the two most powerful beings in the universe?" He laughed.

"Well, we're about to find out." Leo decided.

"Get them!" Krane ordered. Gao started to rush at us, and Leo pulled the trigger on Calla's device. Gao geoleaped out of harm's way, but the blast hit one of the containers of bionic serum. It exploded, leaving only a mess of ruined serum and a chemical fire. I grinned – my girl always had a thing for fiery explosions.

"Leo, keep shooting!" Bree ordered. Leo quickly destroyed what was left of the serum, all except for the syringe that Gao had.

"You imbecile! What are you doing?" Krane demanded.

"Bree, now!" I ordered. Bree sped towards Krane and ripped his breathing mask off before he could stop her. She tossed to Adam, who threw it far out of sight, even as Krane fell to, gasping and spluttering for air.

"Finish this, Leo!" Bree shouted. Leo aimed the Concussion Blaster at the top of the dome surrounded the colony and shot a large blast. It destroyed the top instantly, pieces of the dome being sucked out into the oblivion of space.

"That should do it." He announced.

"C'mon, we have to get out of here." I instructed.

"But what about Gao?" Adam protested. I shook my head.

"We don't have time." I told him. "The entire dome is about to collapse. We have to get everyone to the spacecraft fast."

"Oh, so now you're talking to me again?" Adam questioned childishly.

"JUST GO!" I shouted before beginning to push Calla in the direction of the spacecraft. Thankfully, none of them resisted us as we brought them to safety.

"Put them in the back." Bree suggested, knowing there wouldn't be much room in the front. I nodded, leading them into the backroom. As soon as I was sure they were all relatively comfortable (and unlikely to be jostled too much during the ride) I headed back to the front of the ship, where Perry was preparing for liftoff.

"Alright, the colonists are locked up in the back with Calla, Davenport, and Tasha." Bree told Adam, Leo, and Perry.

"Once we get back to Earth, we can deactivate their Triton Apps." I decided.

"Do we have to?" Adam complained. "I think Mr. Davenport looks kinda nice with green eyes."

Suddenly, the entire spacecraft shook. "The dome's about to come down." Leo told us. "We have to get out of here."

"Saddle up, skin boards!" Perry called from the control seat. "This filly's locked and loaded and rearing to race out of the space rock stable. That one's for you, Buck."

We all took a seat – Adam, Bree, and I up front with Perry while Leo decided he was more comfortable in the back – and Perry started the spacecraft. We had taken off just in time to see the space colony collapse in on itself, completely destroyed.

"Looks like we made it out of there just in time." Bree breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah." I agreed.

"Alright, I don't know about you guys, but all this space stuff has me worn out." I heard Leo sigh from behind us. "I'm going to take a nice little intergalactic nap."

"Let's just hurry up and go home." Bree told me as Leo retreated back to his seat. I nodded and began fiddling with the controls.

"I'll plot a course. We can take a shortcut through the Andromeda galaxy." I replied, already plugging in the coordinates. "Sure be smooth sailing from here."

"Thank god." Bree sighed, reaching up to adjust her ponytail. "This is the worst vacation, ever."

"Tell me about it." Perry agreed, getting out of her seat. "What do you say tomorrow, we hit the day spa and get our armpits waxed? It'll be a nice change from going to the barber shop."

She raised her arms and both my siblings gagged in disgust.

"Hey," Adam said suddenly. I wasn't particularly listening, too focused on getting home and getting everyone back to normal to care about whatever idiotic thing my brother had to say next. "Leo looks nice with green eyes too."

Confused, I spun around in my chair. Sure enough, Leo was standing not far behind us, his eyes the same color green as the Triton App. "That's the Triton App!" I warned. Leo raised his bionic arm, the hand beginning to glow.

"Why's he aiming at us?" Bree demanded, getting up. I followed suit, not taking my eyes off Leo.

"Watch out!" I shouted, ducking to the ground when Leo suddenly fired a laser sphere at us. "Get behind me." I ordered, activating my force field. Leo's attacks bounced off it, and rebounded into the walls of the spacecraft.

"For a guy that throws like my grandma, he's got really good aim!" Perry shouted, hiding behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder for a quick second. "When I lower my force field, Bree, you use your speed to take him out, then Adam, you subdue him."

"Got it!" "No problem!" They both agreed.

"Be careful, we don't want to hurt him!" I reminded them.

"Speak for yourself!" Perry retorted.

"Go!" I shouted, dropping my force field. The moment it was low enough for her to jump over, Bree sped at Leo, knocking him to the ground with a single blow. Adam ran after her, grabbing Leo's arm and forcing him to stay where he was.

"Nice work, everybody." I complimented, acknowledging that the strategy had been executed flawlessly.

"I agree." We looked up to see Gao standing at the back of the room, holding a blaster of his own. "Very impressive."

"Thanks, Dr. Gao." Adam smiled, then gasped. "Dr. Gao!"

"Did you really think I would just run away and let you go home?" He demanded, keeping the weapon trained on me. Adam slowly got up, giving Bree the chance to take his position and keep Leo pinned to the ground. "I'm just getting started." Gao continued. "Capturing your little space colony was just a small piece of our much greater plan to begin again."

I frowned. "What do you mean, begin again?"

"Wiping out all human existence on Earth." Gao sneered. "And repopulating it with a better, stronger, bionic civilization. Once I launch my doomsday missile, it will start a nuclear winter, taking out all life. Then," he pulled out a syringe full of the bionic serum. All that was left of it was in that syringe, "I will inject your colonists with what remains of my bionic serum. And my new race of superhumans with thrive."

"Not if we stop you first." I growled angrily. Gao hit a button on his watch and it beeped.

"Too late; I just launched the rocket." He announced. "In minutes, the human race will be a distant memory, and there's nothing you pathetic, little, bionic heroes can do about it."

Bree got to her feet, pulling Leo up with her. "You won't get away with this." She snapped. Gao rolled his eyes.

"Let's wrap this up, shall we?" He questioned. "I've got colonists to inject and a bionic army to assemble. The workday grind just never ends."

Adam glared at Gao, then, without any sort of warning, used his heat vision to blast the weapon out of Gao's hands. The doctor stumbled back a few steps, caught off by guard by Adam's surprise attack. "Get him!" My brother shouted, charging at Gao before any of us could argue. I followed his lead, but Gao activated a force field and stepped out of our way before we could hurt him.

"Whoa." I hadn't realized anyone else had a force field ability.

"Destroy them!" Gao instructed Leo. Perry ran over to Gao's side and nodded.

"Yeah, destroy them!" She shouted.

"Really?" Bree questioned. Perry looked at her.

"What? I'm trying to end up on the winning side!" She defended herself.

"Move!" Adam pushed me forward just as Leo shot another laser sphere at us. We got out of harm's way, ducking behind a couple of chairs at the front of the ship. "What now?" He demanded as Leo continued to shoot at us.

"Gao's controlling him!" I hissed, trying to think of a way to stop Leo without injuring him.

"Wait, I have an idea." Bree announced. Instead of telling us what her idea was, she stood up and stepped away from the chair. "Hey Leo! Catch me…"

Leo shot a laser sphere at her and she disappeared, reappearing near the hallway a moment later. "If you…" He shot another sphere at her and she once again disappeared.

"Can." She appeared right in front of Gao.

Leo shot a large energy sphere at her and she disappeared, the sphere hitting Gao in the chest and knocking him out.

"Yes!" We grinned and high-fived each other, including Bree who'd reappeared right next to us. Leo, meanwhile, stopped firing at us, becoming as zombie-like as the rest of the colonists.

"Good job, team." Perry grinned at us. "I never doubted you for a minute."

"Lock him up in the cargo hold." I instructed. "And take Leo to the back with the rest of the colonists. Now that Gao's not controlling him, he's not a threat anymore."

"Got it." Perry walked over to Leo and observed him for a moment. "I haven't seen him this dazed since he walked in on my yoga class. C'mon Dooley." She led Leo out into the hallway and through the door to where the rest of the colonists were, while we went straight to the controls.

Suddenly, the entire spacecraft shook violently. "What was that?" Adam demanded.

"Something hit us." I replied, before staring outside the window. A small spaceship flew past us, and the pilot was clearly visible. "You've got to be kidding me."

"It's Krane!" Bree announced. "He's got one of the colony's space-pods!"

"Wow…I'm not a fan, but this guy really commits." Adam shook his head in disbelief. I couldn't help but agree. The spacecraft shook again as Krane shot at us.

"Man your stations!" I shouted. Adam looked at me.

"Oh, so now I get a seat upfront?" He questioned.

"Just sit!" I shouted. We all took our seats and I took a moment to think of a plan.

"Alright, let's do this." I announced, coming up with one. "Loading missile."

I hit a few buttons as Krane continued to shoot on us. The spacecraft shook badly as a particularly powerful blast hit the bottom left of the ship. "He just took out the weapon's bay!" Bree cried. "We can't defend ourselves!"

"No, we still have the missile that we just loaded." I reminded her. "Prepare to launch."

"Activating homing system." Bree announced.

"Target is locked." Adam told us. "Prepare to fire in three…two…"

Krane shot at us again, almost knocking all of us out of our seats. "He just took out the homing system." Bree warned us. "The computer can't aim the missile without it."

"I'll just have to do it myself." I replied, standing up. Using my bionic scanner, I began to track Krane's ship, my hand hovering above the launch button. "Tracking…tracking…" I locked onto him. "Now!"

I slammed my fist down on the button, the missile launching from the ship. It flew right into Krane's ship, successfully blasting it to smithereens. There was hardly a piece left, with no chance that Krane survive that.

"Yes!" I hugged Bree, grinning.

"You did it!" She grinned.

"Nice job, bro." I turned to see Adam holding out his fist, expecting me to hit it. I hesitated, then smiled.

"Thanks." I replied, bumping my fist against his. He patted my shoulder, grinning.

"Hey, what's with the commotion?" Perry questioned, walking out of the cargo bay. She'd missed the entire thing. "Did the big one press another button?"

"No." Adam shook his head, but neglected to explain what had happened. She shrugged, not particularly caring.

"So, where do you want me to fly this thing?" She asked. "You know, now that the Earth is going to be uninhabitable."

"Gao's rocket!" In all the excitement, I'd completely forgotten about his rocket. I hit some buttons on the nearby touch screen, setting it to scan for rockets. It found Gao's within seconds, the rocket about four minutes away from destroying Earth completely.

"It's going to hit Earth in four minutes, and we don't have anything to intercept it!" Bree cried. "We can't stop it."

Only one plan came to mind, though it wasn't one I liked. "I can, if I used Mr. Davenport's high velocity escape suit."

"Chase, that's too risky. Your body could never withstand the force." Bree retorted. "You'll be ripped to shreds."

I didn't respond to that, knowing she was right. But what other choice did we have? We couldn't let everyone on Earth die just because-

"I'll do it." Adam's voice broke into my thoughts. I turned around slowly, not sure if I'd heard him correctly.

"What?" I demanded, staring at him.

"Adam, did you not hear me? You could die." Bree reminded him.

"My super strength will give me a better chance of survival, and I think one casualty versus an entire planet is worth the risk." Adam replied seriously.

"Adam-" I began, but he only cut me off.

"Let me do this, Chase." He snapped. "You were right; I need to grow up. And this is my time."

I looked at him, trying to think of a way to convince him that this was a bad idea. It shouldn't be like this – if anyone should take the risk, it should be the mission leader. But Adam was right about him having a better chance at survival than me, and a chance at survival is better than no chance. And I could from one look that he wasn't going to back down from this, no matter what Bree or I said.

"Okay." I finally agreed. "Suit up."

** Xxx **

Adam quickly climbed into the escape suit and exited the spacecraft. He started speeding through space in the direction of the rocket. I waited until he was out of sight to establish contact.

"Adam, it's going to be very difficult for you to see when you're travelling that fast." I told him, but I figured he already knew. "I'll help you navigate on the comm. set."

"And I'll monitor your vitals." Bree added, already pulling the information up on the screen implanted in the dashboard.

"Adam, you ready?" I asked.

" _Ready."_  He replied, his voice steady.

"Wait." Perry said suddenly. "Just in case you don't make it back, I want you to know that you were always my favorite." She glanced at us. "But that's not saying much."

"I've located the doomsday rocket." I announced. "If you're going to stop it, you're going to need to match its speed."

" _Copy that."_  Adam agreed.

"Engage thrusters." I instructed.

" _Uh…"_  Adam hesitated.  _"What?"_

I rolled my eyes. "Turn up the things that make you go faster!"

" _Got it. Engaging thrusters."_  He did as he said, immediately increasing his speed. Bree glanced at his vitals – still relatively stable – then activated her comm. set.

"How are you doing, Adam?" She questioned.

" _Uh, I think I'm alright."_  He replied.  _"I'm seeing stars, but that could be because I'm in space."_

"We have to hurry." I told him, glancing at the clock. The seconds were ticking by, and each one brought Earth closer to destruction. "Increase thrusters to 85%."

He did as he was told.  _"Whoa!"_

I waited a quick second, but he wasn't going fast enough yet. "Up to 95%."

"Chase." Bree warned, glancing at Adam's vitals. Already, they were a little unstable, but not enough to be concerned about…yet.

"Faster, Adam!" I urged.

"Chase!" Bree exclaimed, staring at me. "His heart rate's going through the roof. I don't think he can take much more."

"He has to try." I told her, although reluctantly. I hated having to put him through something like this, but it was the only way. "You okay, Adam?"

" _Ah-Yeah!"_ He gasped out, lying through his teeth.

"Keep going." I encouraged him. "You're at 100%."

" _AH!"_  He shouted, a mixture of pain and frustration, as he pushed both himself and the suit to their limits.  _"Just so you know, it hurts. I think I'm burning up."_

"You're doing fine." I lied, knowing that the truth would just freak him out. "Keep going. You have to go past the limit."

" _Okay. AH!"_  He shouted again, trying ever harder. I spared a glance at Bree's screen, not liking what it said at all.  _"Guys, if I don't make it-"_

"You're going to make it." I interrupted him. "You're almost there!"

"Chase, it's too much! Make him stop!" Bree pleaded. "Please!"

I couldn't. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't. Because even though I was Adam's brother, I was also his mission leader. Which meant I had to put the mission before him. I'd expect him to do the same in return if it was me out there.

" _Guys, if I don't make it,"_  Adam gasped, clearly in a tremendous amount of pain,  _"I want you to know that you're the best family I-"_

And then the line went dead.

"Adam? Adam!" I demanded, rising out of my seat. "Adam!"

Bree and I watched in horror as Adam's vitals steadily dropped. "Something's wrong. He's slowing down." Bree told me.

"What? No!" He couldn't be…no. No, he wasn't' dead. He wasn't allowed to die, not like this. "Adam, answer me!"

"C'mon big guy, c'mon!" Even Perry seemed upset.

"ADAM!" Bree cried, just as his heart stopped.

"…He's gone." I murmured thickly, unable to raise my voice above a whisper.

"No!" Bree cried, staring at the screen. She sucked in a gasp, fears falling freely from her eyes. I bit my lip, looking down. How could I have let this happen? It should have been me in that suit. It should…

We all froze at the same time as Adam's vitals began to rise, his heart beating steadily. "He…he's speeding up again." Bree realized, one hand reaching towards her comm. set. "Adam, can you hear me?"

" _Yeah."_  I collapsed into my chair, weak with relief, when I heard his voice.  _"Yeah. I-I can hear you. I blacked out for a few, but I'm back."_

"We thought we lost you." I told him. I heard him chuckle lightly.

" _Yeah, you're not going to lose me that easily."_  He promised me. "Hey, can you guys excuse me for a minute? I've got some unfinished business to take care of. I think I see the rocket. It's pretty close."

I glanced back at my screen, nodding. "It's about to enter the Earth's atmosphere. We don't have much time." I told him. "If you can't stop it, the entire planet's close."

"I got this." He assured us.

"You'll have to use your super strength to ram it head on." I instructed. "The suit should protect you."

"Okay." He agreed. "Here goes."

There was a few moments of silence as he neared the rocket. "AHHHH!" He shouted, not in pain but in determination. The next thing we heard was a massive explosion, then a lot more silence.

"Adam? Adam, are you there?" I demanded.

"Yeah, I'm here." I could hear the pride in his voice. "Guys, I did it!"

"Yes!" Those of us back on the spacecraft grinned and hugged each other, even Perry.

"Oh, and you know that other thing I wanted to do in space? Mission accomplished." He asked. I frowned and looked at Bree.

"What did he want to do?" I asked, confused. Perhaps I'd missed that part of the conversation. She sighed, then spoke into her comm. set.

"Adam, that escape suit doesn't have one of those toilet thingies, you know." She informed him, though she was smiling. I frowned in disgust, but didn't comment on it.

"Now you tell me." Adam sighed.

** Calla's POV **

I snapped open my eyes, stumbling back a couple of steps. Where was I? What had happened? The last thing I remembered was… "Krane!"

"Whoa, easy." Somehow, I'd missed the fact that Chase was standing right in front of me, keeping his hand on my arm to steady me. "You back with us, Calla?"

"What…Krane…he…" I stumbled over my words, still completely confused. Then I noticed where we were. "Wait, we're back on the island? What happened to space?"

Chase chuckled lightly, clearly amused. "You don't remember anything, do you?"

"I remember the space colony's dome breaking, going to check on something in the control room, Krane's ugly mug in front of me, then…nothing." I admitted, looking around. Around me, Adam, Bree, and Leo were using small devices on blank faced people, Mr. Davenport and Tasha included. "Chase?"

"Krane used the Triton App on all of you, tried to give you bionics, failed to give you bionics, we blew him up, saved the day, and came back here." He gave me a quick rundown. I just stared at him, slightly more confused.

"Uh…okay, sure." I shrugged. Just another day here, right? "Wait, why not stay at the colony?"

"Oh, that…" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"We broke it." Adam supplied, using the device to undo the Triton App on Tasha.

"Uh, Bree?" I stopped her from using the same device on Mr. Davenport. "He's not going to be too pleased about the broken colony thing, so I'd do him last."

"Good idea." She agreed, moving onto one of the colonists. Chase grabbed my hand.

"Are you okay?" He checked. I nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. Really confused, but I'm not hurt, so there's something." I squeezed his hand, smiling to reassure him. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He promised me. I gave him a look, recognizing the tone he used when he was lying.

"Chase." I warned. He sighed.

"It's been a long day. We fought two bad guys, one of which nearly used an experimental bionic serum on all of you, and we nearly lost Adam while trying to stop a rocket." He admitted. I stared at him. "Like I said, a long, hard day."

"Adam nearly died?" I demanded. "Bionic serum? Rocket? Okay, someone please give me the full version of what happened. Like now."

** Chase's POV **

By time I had finally told Calla exactly what had happened – from discovering that the satellite had been screwed with at the colony to getting Adam back inside the spacecraft after stopping a deadly rocket – the Triton Apps had been removed from everyone here. All the colonists were being fed real food by Katherine while Douglas convinced them that they shouldn't sue Mr. Davenport for nearly being brainwashed at his space colony. As for Mr. Davenport, he seemed more concerned with the fact that his space colony was gone than the fact that all nearly became bionic soldiers.

"Well, Mr. Davenport," Adam mused, sitting on the ground. "Aside from losing your entire space program, I think it was a pretty successful trip."

"Yeah. It's not every day you get to save the world from total annihilation." Bree agreed.

"I lost millions!" Mr. Davenport cried, too caught up in his own misery to be glad he wasn't dead. "Millions!"

"Let's go, handsome." Perry pulled a tall, Chinese man into the room, a pair of bionic-blocking laser cuffs surrounded his wrists.

"Dr. Gao." I informed Calla. I nodded thoughtfully, not saying anything.

"Are you taking him to jail?" Mr. Davenport questioned miserably.

"That's what some men call it." Perry shrugged, pulling Dr. Gao along. He looked over his shoulder, silently pleading for help, but we weren't about to stop him.

"Well, I'm off." Tasha announced, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Mr. Davenport asked, confused.

"To Greece." She announced. Mr. Davenport got to his feet.

"Honey, I really don't feel like travelling." He told her gently. Tasha gave him a sympathetic look.

"Oh, I didn't say you were going. I'm having a week with my girls." She announced. "Bree, Calla, c'mon!"

"Ópa!" "Foverós!" They both grinned. Calla gave me a kiss on the cheek before following Bree and Tasha into the hydroloop. I watched them as the hydroloop left, surprised.

"Wait, are they seriously going to Greece for a week? Just like that?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Guess we'll find out in a week." He replied. "I'll be in the kitchen."

Both he and Mr. Davenport walked away, leaving me alone with Adam. I looked at my older brother, feeling a little guilty about everything that had happened before.

"Listen, Adam," I began, "I just want to let you know how proud of you I am. And all those things I said about you being immature? You proved me wrong."

"Thank you, Chase." He nodded at me, grateful. "And from now on, I'm going to be a perfectly responsible adult."

"Great." I agreed. He looked at me.

"You know that's never going to happen, right?" He checked. I chuckled.

"Yeah, I figured as much." I agreed, high-fiving him.


	27. Ultimate Tailgate Challenge

** Bree's POV **

I paced around the room impatiently, glancing at the hydroloop doors every so often. Tasha was supposed to be bringing me something today, something really important, and even though she was only ten minutes later than she promised, I was getting a little impatient.

"Hey beautiful." I looked up in surprise when I heard Jaden's voice. He was leaning against the doorway, watching me with a smile on his face.

"Hey." I smiled brightly, skipping up to him. He pulled me in for a good morning kiss, both of us smiling at each other.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked, curious. I smirked.

"Nothing." I lied, giving him a cheeky smirk. He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? So you've been waiting out here all morning for nothing?" He mused. I nodded. "Because my sister seems to think this has something to do with my birthday?"

"Why would she think that?" I hummed. Damn it, Calla. Can't you keep your mouth shut for once?

"I don't know…maybe because it's this Sunday and you haven't mentioned anything about it yet…" Jaden looked at me, trying not to laugh. Clearly, he knew Calla was right. I rolled my eyes, trying to feign some innocence.

"So, speaking of your birthday, I thought you could take the day off, let Katherine take care of all the cooking and stuff." I suggested.

"Maybe." He shrugged before looking over my shoulder. "Morning Mr. D, morning Chase, morning CeeCee."

I looked up in surprise to see Calla, Chase, and Mr. Davenport walk into the room, debating which form of energy output they should try to go with for a new invention.

"Morning Jay." Calla called over her shoulder as they continued to talk. Suddenly, the hydroloop tunnel lit up, announcing that a hydroloop car was coming in.

"I didn't know we were getting any visitors." Adam frowned, coming in from the training room. The hydroloop doors opened up and Tasha walked out, smiling brightly.

"Surprise!" She called, smiling brightly at us. "What, no Leo?"

"I…I don't know, actually." Calla frowned. "Has anyone else noticed how weird he's been acting?"

"Weird?" Tasha questioned, concerned. Chase rolled his eyes.

"He's been blowing us off all week and going God-knows-where." He shrugged. "Calla thinks something's up."

"He's probably on his computer somewhere, video chatting with Janelle and trying to win her back or something." I offered, trying to change the topic quickly. I turned to Tasha. "So…"

"Yes, I have them. And I got enough for all of us." She assured me, handing me a thick, white envelope. Adam frowned.

"What did you get?" He asked, confused. I smiled and turned back to Jaden, addressing him.

"I paid Tasha some money so she could pick up tickets to the big college basketball game this Sunday at Mission Creek State University." I told my boyfriend. Jaden's eyes widened in shock, staring at me.

"What? Seriously?" He exclaimed. I nodded. "That's the university I was going to go to if all of this bionic stuff never happened."

"I know. That's why I got you tickets. Well, everybody got tickets, but…" I trailed off, seeing the wide grin on his face.

"This is the best present I can think of." Jaden kissed me deeply, showing me just how much he appreciated it. I was smiling when we finally separated.

"You're welcome." I murmured.

"So anyway," Tasha rolled her eyes at us, "I've got tickets for all of us to go. Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo, Calla, Jaden, me and you, Donald."

"Uh, football?" Mr. Davenport shook his head. "Pass."

"You're going." Tasha informed him.

"Honey, if you wanted a sports guy, you should have married one." He replied. Tasha raised an eyebrow. "I mean, please don't leave me; I'll go."

"We're going to the game? Sweet!" Calla beamed. Chase frowned.

"You hate football." He pointed out.

"Yes, but MCSU is supposed to have this massive library, and I'm the same age as the rest of the students, so I'll be able to sneak in without anyone noticing I'm not a student." She reasoned. Jaden looked at her.

"You are such a nerd. Besides, I thought you told Mom that MCSU was a school for losers and that their library sucked." He pointed out. Calla rolled her eyes.

"I only said that because she was trying to convince me to go because she wanted me to stay close to home." She retorted.

"Where were you going to go?" I asked, curious. Calla shrugged.

"Caltech, MIT, and Princeton were my top three. Harvard if none of those panned out, but let's face it; why wouldn't I be accepted at any of them?" She replied.

"I see Chase's ego is rubbing off on you." I observed. She rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm going to go find Leo, tell him that you're here, Tasha." She announced, heading off in the direction of the training room.

"This is going to be so cool." Jaden grinned. I nodded.

"Oh! I'm totally going to be one of those girls who paint their faces and scream into the camera!" I exclaimed. Chase rolled his eyes at me.

"Bree, please do not embarrass us." He pleaded. "Everyone knows that the proper way to enjoy a sporting event is to clap politely. Not hoot and holler like a buffoon!"

Cue Perry running in, hooting and hollering like a buffoon. When she finally stopped moving, I noticing that she was wearing a Mission Creek Tech sweater.

"You went to Mission Creek Tech?" Mr. Davenport demanded.

"Best twelve years of my life." She stated proudly. "And I was on the football team."

"No way. They let girls play back then?" I asked, surprised.

"Nope." She replied, disappointing me. "I had to grow a moustache and say I was Tom from Ohio."

"Why am I not surprised?" Jaden hummed. Perry ignored him, instead glaring at the MCSU symbol on Tasha's shirt.

"Ugh, The State Pioneers." She growled. "I knew there was a reason I hated you; you went to my rival school."

"Oh yeah!" Tasha smirked. "State's taking Tech down!"

"In your dreams!" Perry retorted. "I just wish I could be there to see it. The game's sold out."

"You should talk to Tasha and Bre-" Adam almost ruined it, but Mr. Davenport cut him off before he could.

"No, she shouldn't!" He interrupted. Perry looked at him, then back at Tasha and Bree.

"Do you have tickets?" She questioned, getting in their faces.

"Uh, no." Tasha lied.

"Good." Perry replied. "Because I know, if you did, you'd invite your bestie Terry, right?"

"Did she say bestie, or beastie?" Adam whispered to Chase.

"You just said you hated me." Tasha pointed out.

"I've grown as a person since then!" Perry snapped, forcibly hugging Tasha. Tasha squirmed miserably, trying to escape. "Don't fight it! Like me back!"

** Calla's POV **

"Hey K-Dog!" I called, walking into the training area. "You seen Leo? He's been MIA all morning."

"I…uh…" Kieran hesitated. I raised an eyebrow, confused by his reluctance.

"Kieran." I said, a hint of warning in my voice. He sighed.

"Try the cafeteria." He admitted.

"Was that so hard?" I inquired, still confused by the look on his face. I shrugged, brushing it off, and headed towards the kitchen.

The cafeteria was empty when I got there, neither a student nor mentor in sight. I was about to leave to search elsewhere when I heard some sort of clanging from the kitchen, as if someone had dropped a pan. Curious, I quietly walked into my brother's workplace, only to stop at the door, staring at the sight before me.

Katherine was sitting on top of the kitchen counter, her legs wrapped around Leo's waist and her hands hugging the back of his neck as Leo kissed her, his own hands roaming farther and farther down her back.

I stared at them for a long moment, caught completely off guard, before clearing my throat. "Ahem."

Both teens pushed away from each other, startled by my entrance. Leo stared at me, eyes wide and shocked as he tried to explain himself. As for Katherine, she seemed a little too comfortable with getting caught, swinging her legs from where she still sat on the counter.

"Calla, what brings you 'ere?" She asked, cocking her head to the side, her curly locks falling off her shoulder. I looked between her and Leo, then shook my head.

"Uh…" I laughed lightly to myself, unable to hide my smirk. "I came to talk to Leo actually."

"You did?" Leo looked at me skeptically. I nodded, still smirking.

"By the way," I knelt down and grabbed a metal pot off the ground. I placed it back on the counter next to Katherine, assuming that they'd knocked it off by mistake in the middle of their make-out session, "you dropped this."

"Of course," Katherine smiled, "'sides, I promised the teacher's pet I'd help him perfect some move he's been tryin' to do. I'll see ya both later."

She kissed Leo on the cheek before walking out, her head held high. Leo, meanwhile, was still staring at me, clearly embarrassed.

"How much did you see?" He finally asked. I laughed.

"I saw enough." I admitted, watching his face flush red. "Dude, about time."

"What?" He looked at me.

"You and Katherine. It's about time you guys got together." I replied.

"Really? I thought you hated the girls I date?" He questioned suspiciously.

"No, that was just Janelle." I corrected him. "Katherine, I like. But seriously, how long has this been going on?"

"Christmas?" Leo replied sheepishly.

"Christmas?" I repeated, staring at him. "Dude, that was like a two months ago! You've been keeping it from us this entire time?"

"Yeah, well…you see, what happened was…"

** Leo's POV **

** FLASHBACK! **

_ I smiled, walking into the training room. Most of the students were hanging around the massive Christmas tree Adam, Jaden, and Douglas had dragged in, preoccupied with their presents. Much to our surprise, between the six of us, we'd managed to scrape up enough money to get everyone a gift for Christmas and still give our usual annual donation to Salvation Army. _

_ Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Bob and Spin were chasing each other around the tree, wielding their red and blue plastic light sabers around with glee. Taylor, Logan, and the twins were playing Monopoly, while Adam, Bree, and Jaden snacking on Christmas cookies and pie. Calla and Chase were nowhere to be seen, but judging by the show of PDA I caught earlier, they'd taken their holiday celebration to their bedroom. _

" _Hey Taylor." I stopped by the Monopoly board. She glanced upwards at the sound of my voice._

" _Hey Leo, do you want to play?" She asked. I shook my head, smiling at them._

" _No thanks. I was wondering though; do you know where Katherine is?" I asked._

" _I think she said she was going into the kitchen." Kieran replied as he handed Taylor the dice. "Why?"_

" _Nothing. Just wanted to talk to her about training." I lied as Taylor rolled._

" _Eleven! Nice." Logan mentioned, telling Taylor her amount. I chuckled._

" _Have fun, you guys." I told them before heading off to kitchen. Thankfully, I found Katherine exactly where Kieran said she would be. It was a good thing too, since I'd been planning on finding her in here. "What are you doing?" I questioned, leaning against_

_ She froze, her hand literally in the cookie jar. "Don't ya dare be judgin' me, Leo. Jaden made red velvet cookies and I ain't sharin'." _

" _Dude, I thought Bob ate all of those!" I exclaimed. I had to stop myself from going into the kitchen to steal some from her. I would have taken them right out of her hands, but I knew I needed to stay where I was._

" _Fine, they're all yours." I offered. She craned her neck to stare at me, one eyebrow raised skeptically._

" _There's a catch, ain't there?" She guessed._

" _Uh, yeah. I need to tell you something." I replied. She frowned and put her arms on her hips, her blonde curls falling behind her shoulder._

" _Well?" She questioned. I smirked._

" _Come here." I motioned for her to come closer. She frowned, but inched closer a few steps. However, she wasn't quite close enough. "What? I'm not going to bite. Come here."_

" _What is it?" She questioned, coming a little closer. I smirked and lunged forward, pulling her close until we were face to face._

" _We're under the mistletoe." I whispered, grinning at her confused expression._

" _Mistletoe?" She repeated._

" _Yes, it's a Christmas tradition to ki-" I began, but she cut me off._

" _I ain't stupid; I know what mistletoe is." She rolled her eyes. "I just thought that you'd make our first kiss be a bit more original than under the mistletoe."_

" _You've been thinking about our first kiss?" I hummed, looking at her in surprise. She rolled her eyes._

" _Shut up." She whispered and leaned in, her lips moving against mine._

** FLASHBACK OVER **

"So, yeah." I admitted, smiling slightly. Calla smirked.

"Aw…" She cooed, solely for the purpose of annoying me. I shoved her in annoyance, but she only laughed. "I'm happy for you, Leo. You're cute together."

"Thank you." I smiled at her, before remembering the reason I hadn't told her in the first place. "But you can't tell the others."

"Okay…why not?" She looked at me, confused.

"Because…" I broke off, then sighed. It was Calla, after all. I could tell her without being too embarrassed. "I really like Katherine. She's smart, she's funny, and she's really cool. But all Adam and Chase are going to do is make fun of me and try to embarrass me in front of her."

"…Fair point." She admitted, nodding. "Alright, I won't tell them. But they will find out sooner or later."

"I choose later." I decided. "So, did you just come in here to bust me, or…"

"Right, yeah." She shook her head to clear it. "Your mom's here."

"What, seriously?" I looked at her. She nodded.

"Yeah. She and Bree are treating us all out to a college football game this weekend for Jay's B-Day."

"Awesome." I grinned. "I almost forgot about his birthday."

"You didn't get him a present, did you?" Calla guessed. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I haven't seen you go shopping." I retorted. She nodded.

"Yeah, because it's a birthday tradition for us to make each other birthday cakes instead of buying present." She told me.

"Oh, I know. I'll buy him a birthday cake for his birthday." I grinned, the smile growing when I saw the look on Calla's face. "He can have two cakes. One from you, and one that's actually edible."

"My food is edible!" She retorted. I chuckled.

"Please. You'd burn water." I replied. She looked at me, offended.

"I do not burn everything I try to make!" She exclaimed.

"Remember the microwave popcorn?" I reminded her. Her face went red, but she didn't say anything. "We had to call the fire department!"

"That wasn't my fault!" She retorted, her voice going up an octave. I laughed and began to head out to where the others were surely waiting. I only stopped at the door when I realized Calla wasn't following.

"Hey, what…" I stopped, noticing how she was suddenly a shade paler, and the back of her hand was held up to her mouth. "You alright?"

She didn't answer at first, but nodded after a couple of seconds. "Yeah," She cleared her throat, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?" I asked, frowning. She nodded.

"Totally. My stomach was just acting up or something. I'm totally good." She assured me.

"…Alright." I shrugged and led her out into the main classroom, where my mom, Big D, Adam, Rio, Bob, Bree, Jaden, and Chase were chatting.

"So we're going to the game?" I called, grinning.

"Yep." My mom grinned.

"I can't wait!" Bob exclaimed.

"Me too. It's going to be wicked." She beamed. Mom hesitated.

"Oh, I'm sorry guys." She apologized. "I only have enough tickets for Jaden, Calla, and the rest of our family."

Rio's face fell, disappointed, but Bob clearly didn't understand what my mom meant. "Great." He said, nodding.

"Immediate family." Mom insisted.

"Fantastic." Bob continued to grin.

"Bob, she doesn't take a ticket for either of us." Rio told him.

"Sounds good." The kid replied.

"What?" Adam sounded disappointed too. "If they both can't come, then I'm not going."

"You'd really do that for us?" Rio cooed. Adam nodded.

"You're my girl, and Bob, you're my bud. I'm not going to leave you guys here on your own." He replied.

"That is so sweet." Rio smiled, kissing Adam on the cheek.

"Alright, I guess we have an extra ticket, then." Chase decided.

"I'll take it." Bob stepped forward to get the ticket, but Adam stopped him.

"What about Katherine?" Jaden suggested. I looked at him, surprised.

"Katherine?" I repeated. He nodded.

"Well, yeah. She helps me in the kitchen all the time – she deserves it." He insisted.

"Uh, sure." My mom nodded. "I don't know who she is, but she's welcome to come along. Here's her ticket."

"Leo can give it to her." Calla offered, taking the ticket and handing it to me. I sent her a glare, to which she stuck out her tongue. "What? There a problem?"

"No." I growled, shaking my head at her.

** Calla's POV (two nights later) **

I woke with a start, a little confused and disorientated. I lay there for a moment, confused as to what had woken me. Then my stomach clenched and I knew.

Stumbling out of bed, I barely made it to the toilet before everything I'd eaten that day came back up. I gagged as my stomach rebelled against me, feeling like I was dying. Well, that might have been an exaggeration, but I still felt terrible.

Even after I was sure that there was nothing left to come up, I knelt in front of the toilet, leaning on the bowl tiredly. I felt crappy and my head felt stuffy and I really, really hated being sick.

"Baby?" There was a knock on the door. "You alright?"

"Uh-huh." I nodded, but my stomach decided that it was going to prove me wrong. I retched again, unable to stop myself.

I heard the door behind me open and Chase's hand, pleasantly cool to the touch, gently held my hair out of my face, while the other one rubbed my back.

"Ugh." I groaned when I was done, falling back onto my hands. "Hate bein' sick."

"Everyone does, honey." Chase murmured, placing a hand on my forehead. He frowned. "You're a little warm, but not by much."

"Probably the flu then." I decided with a groan. "Wonderful."

He chuckled softly, giving me a gentle smile. "You want to stay here, or go back to bed? I can bring you some Pepto if you want."

I considered the state of my stomach before answering. "I'll stay here, just in case." I decided. "You can go back to sleep though."

"Nah, I'm good." He replied, settling down beside me. I smiled and lay my head on his shoulder, truly feeling like crap. We stayed there for a while, at least an hour or two, before I finally felt like moving wasn't a bad idea.

Chase was so sweet about it, grabbing some Tylenol for me while I rinsed my mouth, and tucking me into bed with no intention of leaving for his capsule. I was never a big fan of being taken care of when I wasn't feeling well – according to Jaden, a sick me equaled a cranky me – but with Chase…well, it wasn't so bad.

** Bree's POV **

"C'mon guys! Let's go!" I shouted, walking into the mentors' quarters with Jaden. I'd been up for hours, totally excited for today. I knew that this was a present for Jaden, but it was also the only college experience I would ever get, so I couldn't help but be ecstatic. I'd even gotten Jaden to paint a football on my cheek. "What are you guys waiting for?"

Chase and Leo were all dressed (not in jerseys, but whatever), but Calla was still in her freaking pajamas, her housecoat wrapped around her tightly. "You know it's time to go, right?" I questioned, surprised. Usually, she was the one impatient to go.

"God, CeeCee, you look like shit." Jaden said loudly, a sympathetic look on his face. On a second look, I realized she did look pretty out of it.

"Not feeling well." She explained. "Stomach flu."

"You got a fever?" Jaden, ever the big brother, went to check her forehead, but she shook her head.

"Low-grade one. I'm fine." She insisted.

"I could stay behind and take care of you." Chase told her, sounding as if they'd had this conversation before and he was hoping that it would go a different way.

"No, go." Calla insisted. "I'm probably just going to sleep all day; you'll get bored."

"I can entertain myself." He reminded her. She shook her head.

"No, go. Have fun. I want a play-by-play replay." She instructed. "Chase, seriously, it's just the flu. I'll be fine by tomorrow, if not tonight."

"If you're sure…" He replied reluctantly. She nodded.

"I am. If I feel any worse, I'll call you." She promised. "But you've got tickets to the game – use them."

"What about your ticket?" Jaden asked. Calla shrugged.

"I don't know. Sell it or something." She replied.

"Alright, sure." I agreed. "If you're sure you don't want to go?"

"Yes, I'm sure." She insisted, standing up. "I don't want to go. I want to go back to bed, actually. I was up half the night."

"Go. I'll check in." Chase kissed her on the cheek and she smiled at us.

"See ya." She mumbled before heading back to her bedroom. Chase glanced at Adam, who was sitting at the food counter.

"If she feels worse or something, can you make sure she'll call me? I get the feeling that she'll just want to tough it out on her own rather than pull me away from the game." He told him. Adam nodded.

"Relax Chase. Calla says she's fine, and she's always right about these things." He reminded him. "Now go. Bob, Rio, and I want to play some games."

"Yeah, okay." Chase agreed reluctantly.

"Alright, let's go." I decided. They all nodded and followed me into the main classroom, where Katherine, Tasha, and Mr. Davenport were waiting.

"Who's ready to reluctantly attend a sporting event?" Mr. Davenport asked, not at all excited for this.

"Calla's not." Chase announced. "She's not feeling well, so she's staying here, but insists that we have fun without her."

"Oh, the poor thing." Tasha cooed sympathetically. "It might be the flu – I was sick earlier this week too."

"You were? Why didn't you say anything?" Mr. Davenport questioned, looking at her with concern. She waved him off.

"I'm fine, and it was only for an hour or so Tuesday morning." She brushed him off. "What about Calla?"

"She says she's fine and just wants to sleep it off." Chase shrugged. "She was very insistent that she doesn't want to be bothered."

"Don't take it personally dude – she hates people taking care of while she's sick. She'd rather curl up and wait for death." Jaden told my brother, shrugging. "She's just stubborn."

"Still. I'll grab something for her at the game to cheer her up."

"I'm sure she'll like that very much." Tasha told him. "But what about her extra ticket?"

"What about it?" Leo questioned. Tasha sighed.

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but since we have an extra ticket, should we maybe offer it to Perry?" She suggested. We all burst out laughing. "Kidding, kidding. Of course."

"Are we leavin' now, or later?" Katherine asked, looking at us. She was wearing a blue jersey, just like me, with blue and yellow stripes painted on her cheeks.

"Let's go now – I want to get there early so we can tailgate." Tasha replied. We all headed into the hydroloop, heading for the game.

** Leo's POV **

"This is actually pretty cool." Katherine mentioned to me, looking around. The parking lot was full of fans, with different food stands set up every way you looked.

"Yeah, it is." I agreed. We were walking a little farther behind the others, mainly so we could hold hands without them seeing. It wasn't that I liked lying to my siblings, though it was a habit that I'd picked up over the years, but neither of us really wanted to hear them mock us, like they'd mocked me for going out with Janelle. But this time, it was going to be different. I would tell them eventually, perhaps when Katherine and I were a bit more serious. Besides, Rio and Kieran were often looked at as a teacher's pets because of their strong relationships with us mentors, and Katherine was mortified at the idea of being labeled the same as them (for some reason, she and Kieran didn't get along the greatest).

"What's that there?" Katherine asked, pointing at a statue made of burnt wood. There was a crowd surrounding it, along with an ex-football player giving an interview.

"Pioneer Pete." I explained. She frowned, so I elaborated. "So, a hundred years ago, there was a big fire at the college and this dude named Pioneer Pete put it out, so they built him a statue out of some of the remaining, damaged wood."

"Sounds mighty borin'." She sighed, looking around. "But the food looks good."

"Oh, to be back in college." My mom sighed from the front. Katherine and I subtly let go of each other's hands, smiling at each other. "I had the best days of my life here."

"Other than the day you married the Donald Davenport, right sweetie?" Big D asked, smirking confidently. My mom gave him a look.

"Get me my own island and we'll talk." She told him.

"Hey, why is everyone looking at us?" Chase questioned suddenly. I looked around and realized that he was right – we were clearly catching some people's eyes.

"It's because they know you're bionic." Jaden reminded him as Bree waved at the crowd.

"I'm totally using this to get in with them." Bree beamed.

"Are you really that shallow?" Chase criticized. "You're going to flaunt your bionics just to impress a bunch of tailgating gorillas?"

"Uh, yes." Bree looked at him like he was crazy before heading off to say hello. Jaden sighed.

"Dude, she just wants a college experience. I say, let her have it." He shrugged. I looked at him, surprised.

"Really?" I asked. Jaden nodded.

"She always wanted to fit in, and that meant going to high school, going to college, then getting a real job. She lost the normal high school experience when Taylor posted that video, and her job is as crazy her life, so if she wants to have a day where she can pretend that she's a normal girl with her new friends, I encourage it." He told me. "It's not right that she should have to give up everything she wanted because she has bionics."

"You and Calla gave up everything because of our bionics." I pointed out, seriously. Though no one had ever really brought it up, we all knew that Calla and Jaden were on the island because of us, and that if they hadn't been dating Chase and Bree, they'd probably be doing something completely different with their lives.

"We didn't give up everything." Jaden looked at me. "Football was fun, and I was good at it, but I always knew that I needed a reasonable job rather than some far off fantasy. I like cooking, and Bob keeps me busy. As for Calla, do you really think she would have been happy with some desk job somewhere? She would be bored with her life within the year. She loves working with the bionics program, not just with you guys, but the students. I've never seen her happier than when she's teaching a class or working on some invention with Davenport. Trust me, guys, we gained a lot more than we lost."

"If you say so." I agreed, glad to hear that. Suddenly, I heard the sounds of people booing. Specifically, they were booing me.

"Leo!" My mom scolded me suddenly.

"What?" I looked around, confused.

"You're wearing the Viking's colors." She told me. I glanced down at my red and white shirt. I'd just grabbed this out of my closet his morning, not really looking at what I'd grabbed.

"What do I know about team colors?" I retorted. "Just be happy it's clean."

"See? This is why ya need yer momma to pick out yer clothin'." Katherine teased lightly. I sent her a half-hearted glare, before I pulled my sweater – a green one, not red – out of my bag.

"Hey, Dooley, nice threads." Perry walked over as I pulled the sweater out of my bag. "Oh, I've been looking for a grease rag."

She snatched the sweater away from me, using it to wipe the grease off her spatula.

"What are you doing here?" Big D questioned.

"I'm here for the Ultimate Tailgate Challenge!" She explained. "The winner scores tickets for the big game, and since I cook and eat most of my food in a parking lot already, so I'm a shoe in."

"For what? Parasites?" Chase questioned.

"Shut it, Frodo." Perry snapped.

"Yer a liar." Katherine hissed. "Ya steal the food from my and Jaden's kitchen! We've caught ya a billion times!"

"Behold!" Perry announced, purposefully ignoring Katherine. "My Tailgate Spectacular."

"Great, I'm starving." I mentioned, turning to look at what I had thought was her stand. Instead, she appeared to be cooking her food on a car's grill. "And now I am not."

"You're cooking your food on your car?" Mom questioned.

"It's better than you ever cooked." Perry retorted. "Oh, and check out my rotisserie chicken!"

She hit a button on the remote in her hand and the car's windshield wipers began to move, 'rotating' the chicken that was on them like shish kabobs.

"So, do you have a way to cook them, or are you more of a raw bird kind of gal?" I questioned. Perry didn't answer, instead pushing another button on her remote. Flames burst out of the exhaust pipes on the hood of her car, cooking the chicken to a crisp.

Perry released the button and the flames disappeared, leaving cooked chicken. Just to be sure, she took a piece off and took a bite, humming in satisfaction. "Delicious!"

"Disgustin'." Katherine corrected.

"Shut your trap, Dixie Chick!" Perry snapped. Katherine shut up, though she was glowering at Perry the entire time. "Hey, what are you all doing here, anyway? The game's sold out."

"Uh…" None of wanted to admit that we had tickets.

"We came for the chicken." Big D lied. He reached forward and took a piece, taking a very reluctant bite from it. He grimaced as he chewed, clearly disgusted. "Is that diesel?"

** Calla's POV **

My plans to sleep the day away worked for a while, until I was rudely awoken by a loud crash coming from the mentors' quarters. Knowing that it must be Adam doing something stupid, I considered just going back to sleep, but eventually decided that my room was too hot to sleep in anyway.

I slowly climbed out of bed, grabbing my housecoat before heading down the hall to the mentors' quarters. "What are you…" I pushed open the door.

The entire room was littered with the rubble and remains of broken…everything, ranging from a stereo system to ceramic cats.

"Welcome back to Breaking Stuff With Bob…" Adam announced, facing the camera that Rio was holding. He and Bob were side by side, a disk player sitting between them. None of them noticed me walk in.

"…And Adam." Bob finished, grinning.

"He's still Bob." Adam proclaimed.

"And I'm Bob." The shorter boy added cheerfully. Adam sent him a strange look, but didn't comment on Bob's mistake.

"It's time for old Mr. Laser-Disk-Player to meet my lasers!" Adam grinned before looking down at the disk player. He blasted a ray of heat vision at it, breaking it in half. Smoke filtered up from it as he picked up both halves. "Check it!"

"Nice!" Rio grinned. "If you guys keep this up, you're going to be the number one web show of the week."

"If you keep this up." I agreed loudly. They all looked at me, guilty looks on all of their faces. "Is this what you've been doing all day?"

"…Uh…" Rio hesitated, but Adam knew better than to lie to me.

"Yep." He told me cheerfully. "We just finished our eightieth web show!"

"Did you now?" I hummed, leaning against the door frame.

"We didn't wake you, did we?" Adam guessed. I gave him a look. "Oops, sorry. Didn't mean to."

"Yeah, I know. Besides, I figured it was about time I got up. What time is it? Like 11?"

"3:28, actually." Rio checked her watch. I blinked in surprise. Okay, definitely the right time to get up. "How you feeling?"

"A bit better." I admitted, shrugging. "So, you guys plan on doing this for the rest of the day?"

"Uh…" Adam looked at me, hoping I wouldn't ruin their fun like we all knew Chase would. "We were hoping to."

"Alright," I shrugged, slumping down in the nearest chair. Adam looked at me, surprised.

"Really? No argument? No 'quit it before I tell Davenport'?" He sounded surprised. I shook my head.

"I mean, I expect you to clean this up when you're done, and I won't be helping you with that." I told them seriously. "But yeah, sure. I could use some entertainment, and there's nothing on TV."

"Sweet!" Adam grinned, looking at Rio and Bob. "See? This is why we like her better than Chase!"

I rolled my eyes, crossing my legs. "Well, what's next? And my laptop had better not be on the list."

"Relax – I put in the closet so we wouldn't grab it by mistake." Rio promised me. "As for what's next…" She looked around, "I think we're out of stuff, actually."

"Oh no! How are we supposed to get ratings without a webisode?" Bob demanded.

"I've got an idea." Adam grinned. "One that will get us way more viewers than breaking stuff."

"Oh God, how afraid should we be?" I glanced at Rio. She gave me a nervous smile.

"Terrified." She admitted. Adam laughed.

"Film this." He told her. She nodded and turned on the camera, sinking to her knees next to me so she could film from a more comfortable position. "Welcome to Bob and Adam's web show. We're not going to break things though – this time, it's just going to be two bionic guys with super strength, playing catch with a coffee table."

"Oh no." Rio muttered as the boys high-fived each other.

"We should move." I advised, watching as Adam grabbed the circular coffee table in his arms. The bionic girl nodded and we snuck back out to the doorway, hoping that we were a safe enough distance.

"Okay Bob," Adam nodded, "Just to warn you: if you don't catch this, you might get decapitated."

"Awesome!" Bob nodded. Adam threw the coffee table at him, throwing it like it was a Frisbee. Bob caught it with ease, grinning. "Hey, forget bionic superheroes – we should be movers!"

He threw it back to Adam, who caught it just as easily. "Alright," the older boy announced, "let's make this more challenging. Bob, go long!"

Bob ran backwards, heading towards the fireplace. As soon as Adam was sure Bob was ready, he threw the table. Unfortunately, Adam wasn't thinking about where he was throwing it, and it crashed through all three capsules, shattering what was supposed to be unbreakable glass.

"No!" Rio dropped the camera in shock, her hands reaching to cover her mouth. I stared at the shattered capsules in shock.

"Oh no!" Bob cried. "I think we scratched the table!"

** Bree's POV **

"You know," I hummed, licking my lips. Perry had insisted that we try her chicken and shawarma meat, so we were sitting in land chairs, around her tailgate. "If you don't think about how it was cooked, the chicken is actually quite tasty."

"Oh, I ran out of chicken." Perry informed me. "That's falcon."

I dropped the leg I was holding instantly, repulsed by what I had just eaten. "I'm done!" Jaden announced, dropping his plate.

"No, wait!" Perry protested. "You haven't even tried my sausages yet."

She ran to the back of the car and pulled a string of large sausages out of the tailpipe.

"You cooked them in the tailpipe?" Jaden questioned, horrified.

"You call it a tailpipe, I call it a smoker." Perry shrugged. "Every time I see hot air coming out of something, the first thing I think is 'how can I put meat in there?'."

"And to think you're still single." Mr. Davenport hummed.

"Hey wait, where are Leo and Katherine?" Jaden asked suddenly. "Why don't they have to eat this?"

"They're making out behind the bathrooms." I replied nonchalantly. Jaden looked at me, surprised.

"Wait, seriously? Leo and Katherine?" He questioned. I nodded.

"Yeah. I don't know how long they've been together, but they aren't very good at hiding it." I mentioned. "I caught them sneaking out of a storage closet a couple of weeks ago. Didn't take a genius to figure out what they were doing?"

"You caught them coming out of a storage closet?" Mr. Davenport chuckled. "I saw them kissing on the security cameras."

"How did I not know about this?" Jaden sounded genuinely confused. I shrugged.

"Not sure, but for some reason, they're determined to keep it a secret, so we're letting them." I replied. "But to be honest, everyone knows about them being together."

"But they don't know that we know?" Jaden confirmed. I nodded.

"Yep." I agreed, getting up. I could see a group of the same college guys I was talking to earlier all standing in a circle. "Well, that's enough e coli for one day. Time to go wow my college buds with some razzle dazzle."

I skipped over to the group in time to hear them chanting "M.C. State! M.C. State! M.C. State!"

"Hey, what's everyone looking at?" I demanded, pushing through the crowd to see…Chase?

My brother stood in the middle of the crowd, shirtless. He was covered in blue and yellow paint, divided vertically down his center. One of those weird raccoon hats were on top of his head, and I just stared at him in surprise.

"I can't hear you!" He called, noticing that the chanting had stopped. I watched him use his telekinesis to levitate a group of footballs into the air, creating the shape of a much larger football.

"Chase?" I demanded, shocked. He looked at me. "What are you doing? I thought you said flaunting your bionics for attention was shallow!"

"It is." He agreed before smiling. "And I'm okay with that. They like me!"

"Chase! Chase! Chase!" The crowd chanted as Chase used his bionics to make the footballs fly across the parking lot. I looked at them, a little disappointed that it was him that was getting the attention, and not me.

** Leo's POV **

"I don't think anyone noticed that we were gone." I whispered as Katherine and I snuck back towards the group. Chase and Bree were nowhere to be seen, but Jaden and Big D were hanging by Perry's car/food stand.

"Hey Big D." I greeted, walking over.

"Hey Leo, hey Katherine." He nodded at us as my mom ran over.

"Hey guys, I just picked up the tickets." She announced, beaming. "They're on the fifty yard line."

"What? Seriously?" Jaden grabbed the tickets, not pulling them out of my mom's hands, but trying to get a better look. "Those are amazing seats!"

"Sweet, I think." Big D shrugged, not really sure and not really caring. "Let's just get out of here before Perry sees them."

"Too late." Katherine muttered as Perry stood behind my parents, growling like an animal. They both froze upon hearing the growling.

"Please tell me there's a 4 foot pit bull behind us." Big D begged, not daring to turn around.

"You have tickets!" Perry shouted, making them both jump. "You lied to me! How could you? We're family!"

"Okay, fine!" My mom relented reluctantly. "You can have our extra ticket."

"No!" Perry retorted. "After you lied to me, I want all of them! Give me!"

She charged at my mother, who backed up as far as she could. Scared, Mom tossed the tickets into the air. They flew high above Perry's head into my waiting hands. Perry turned and charged at me, so I threw them to Katherine.

"I don' want these!" My girlfriend shouted, tossing them to Jaden. Perry spun around and faced him, ready to charge.

"Bring it on, half-pint!" The ex-football player challenged, not at all afraid. Perry rushed at him and Jaden threw the tickets expertly at Big D, who caught them with a look of surprise on his face.

"Hey, what do you know? I caught them!" He grinned, oblivious to the fact that Perry was running at him. Perry tackled him to the ground, trying to reach the tickets. He curled into a ball, struggling to get away. "Those aren't the tickets!" He cried when Perry's hands got a little too low.

Eventually, Perry managed to wrestle the tickets out of his grasp, her hand flying back. She lost her grip on the tickets in her attempts to pull them free and they went flying, only to land on the chicken she was cooking.

"I'll get 'em." Katherine rolled her eyes, heading towards the chicken.

"No way!" Perry exclaimed. "If I can't have them, neither can you!"

She hit a button on her remote control and fire exploded out of the exhaust pipes in the front, burning both the chicken and the tickets to a crisp.

"No!" We all cried, horrified. Perry grinned.

"Now that's a hot ticket." She laughed in amusement.

"Get off me." Big D pushed Perry away from him, annoyed with her. Perry shrugged and got up, heading over to her car to taste the chicken.

"Good news." She told us after a moment. "The chicken is still delicious and the tickets are like an extra layer of skin."

Meanwhile, a group of people passing by started to boo me again, since I didn't have anything to cover up my red and grey shirt. I chose to ignore them, instead addressing my mom. "Can we just go home?"

"No way." Mom retorted. "I've been looking forward to this game."

"There's gotta be a way we can get in." Jaden sounded determined.

"How?" I stared at him before gesturing to Perry. "She ATE our tickets!"

"What about that Ultimate Tailgate Challenge?" Katherine questioned. "It cain't be all that hard to beat 'er – look at how she's cookin'!"

"Katherine's right." Big D agreed. "We'll do whatever it takes to beat her and get the tickets. C'mon Leo, Katherine, Jaden, let's go."

"Right." We all nodded and followed him out to the car.

"Alright, here's the plan. Jaden and I will go out and get supplies." Big D decided. "Katherine and Leo, you two find us a spot that's busy so we can get more customers."

"Alright." "Good idea." Katherine and I nodded, already looking for a spot. We were going to beat Perry if it was the last thing we did.

** Calla's POV **

"I shouldn't have gotten out of bed today." I decided, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"What are we going to do?" Adam was saying, looking at the capsules in horror. There was no way they could repaired – there was nothing left by the steel platform, the steel cover, and far too much shattered glass.

"If Mr. Davenport sees this, we're going to be in a lot of trouble." Rio worried. I looked at her.

"If Chase sees this, you're going to be in a lot of trouble." I pointed out. "Same goes for Bree. All three of them will kill you."

"She's so right about that." Rio agreed, looking at her boyfriend.

"I got an idea!" Bob said excitedly. We all looked at him expectantly. "If we destroy everything else in the Academy, they'll never even notice the capsules."

"No Bob." I groaned, crossing my arms over my knees and lying my head on my arms. "Something less stupid please."

"She's right, Bob; that's a horrible idea." Adam agreed. "We don't have enough time to do all that. But don't worry, I got something."

** Xxx **

"What do you think?" Adam asked when he was done. I glanced at the mound of half-melted glass. "Does this look close?"

"That looks terrible." Bob replied. "You should try the duct tape."

Even if we'd been stupid enough to think that duct tape would work, we couldn't use any because Bob had wrapped himself in it, duct tape stuck to every inch of his body.

"I swear," I shook my head, glancing Rio, "I'm not sure which one of them has the lower IQ."

"Neither am I." She agreed lightly.

** Bree's POV **

So today was going wonderful. First, Chase steals all the friends I made. Then, Perry manages to destroy our tickets to the game. And finally, Jaden was too busy helping Mr. Davenport try to win us some new tickets. So, I was officially miserable.

"Can you believe it?!" Chase grinned, walking over to me so he could brag. "These people actually think I'm fun. Me! Aside from Calla, no one thinks I'm fun! Isn't college awesome?"

"I wouldn't know." I replied. He looked at me, confused. "I haven't talked to any of them because you've been hogging all the attention. But you know what? I have bionics too!"

I walked past him, smiling at the college guys. "Hey guys, have you ever seen a cheerleader super speed?" I didn't wait for their reply before I began to cheer. "Two, four, six, eight, go…"

I sped off to snatch a couple of pom poms, then raced back to them. "State!" I exclaimed cheerfully, until I realized that, in my rush, I accidently knocked all the food from their hands, onto the ground.

"Boo!" They booed me, much to my disappointment. I was just trying to impress them.

"Don't worry, I'm still here." Chase assured them, taking over the spotlight again. I pushed my brother away from me as the guys cheered for him, more than a little upset.

** Leo's POV **

"Here." Katherine walked back up to me, carrying a yellow t-shirt in her hands. "You owe me twenty bucks."

"Which I will happily pay you back when we get home." I assured her, already pulling off my red and white shirt. Katherine traded with me, handing me the Pioneers shirt so I would no longer be booed by the crowd. "How long until Big D and Jay get back?" I questioned, pulling the shirt over my head.

"Right now." She replied, gesturing at a red and black convertible coming our way. They must have stopped at the house to switch cars or something, I decided.

"This way, guys!" I called, motioning for Jaden and Big D to pull in next to Perry's car. They did so, parking next to her. A bunch of people came to admire the car, looks of awe on their faces.

"Is it over?" Big D asked, getting out of the car. "Oh wait, it couldn't be. I just got here."

"Who's booing now?" I asked Perry, smirking. "Go Pioneers!"

"Hey Perry, check this out." Big D hit a button on his remote. A section on the back of the car slid open and a grill slowly pulled out.

"And, it's got satellite TV with surround sound for your viewing pleasure." Jaden added, addressing the crowd directly as Big D hit another button on the remote. The top of the trunk rose and a flat screen TV lowered to eye level.

"Anyone thirsty?" Big D questioned, pulling a nozzle out from behind the grill. "It dispenses thirty different kinds of beverages."

"Who cares?" Perry retorted. "Nobody likes drinks!"

"And, when the Pioneers win…" Jaden trailed off, clearly waiting for something. The crowd was silent. "I said, when the Pioneers win…"

The crowd burst into applause, hooting and hollering heard from the more wild of spectators. "…I push this one little button," Big D continued for Jaden, "the hood pops up, and we get a spectacular fireworks display."

"Impressive." The judge, football player Willie McGinest, hummed. Big D smirked at him.

"You should probably just give me the tickets right now." He told the taller man.

"Well, clearly your vehicle's the one to beat." Willie McGinest agreed. My mom smirked and glanced at Perry.

"You know…" She mused, "We could combine the tailgates so we can both win the tickets."

"Really?" Perry beamed at the idea, but Mom quickly shot her down.

"Never!" She exclaimed. "Crank it up, Donald!"

Big D hit a button on his remote and music blared from the stereo system for all to hear. The spectators cheered and began to dance, my mom included. And let me tell you, my mother was not a good dancer.

"Mom, you're supposed to be punishing her, not me!" I called, hoping she'd stop. Instead, my mom just danced closer to Katherine and I, my girlfriend trying not to laugh.

** Calla's POV **

"A little to the left…perfect." I announced as Adam readjusted the capsule's positioning. After a couple of hours of bad ideas, Bob had finally come up with a good one – to take some capsules out of the student's dorms to replace the shattered ones up here. Well, maybe it wasn't a great idea, but it was the best one out of all the stupid ones, and I was too tired to care about the future consequences.

"Nice going Bob." Adam grinned at his younger friend. "Replacing the capsules with the ones from the dorms was genius."

"Yeah. So what if other students need them to survive?" The blonde haired boy replied. I nodded before sitting down on the couch.

"That's tomorrow's problem." I agreed.

"Hey," Bob looked up at Adam, "I know we had fun today, but do you think we might have taken things too far?"

"Absolutely." Adam agreed. "What's your point?"

"Well, I was thinking, even though we got away with it, maybe next time we shouldn't do something so destructive." Bob continued. I nodded in agreement, still wondering what possessed them to go around the Academy, grab things that no one was using them, and destroy them.

"You're right." Adam nodded. Both boys turned around to face the camera Rio was recording them with.

"And that was Life Lessons with Bob and Adam." They announced in unison. "Now back to breaking stuff."

"Yeah!" Bob grabbed the nearest object – Adam's laptop – and slammed it down on the ground, cracking the screen and breaking the keyboard.

"Not my laptop, Bob." Adam sighed in annoyance. I rolled my eyes and got off the couch.

"Whatever. I'm going back to bed. Disturb me at your risk." I warned before adding to the camera. "Peace out, suckers."

I heard Adam chuckle as I left, heading straight back to my bed, where it was warm and soft and no one was doing anything stupid or loud.

** Bree's POV **

The competition for the tickets was tough, I had to admit that. Jaden and Katherine were preparing burgers and hot dogs for everyone, and though people were clearly enjoying the music and the food, Perry had more options on her menu (from chicken to mystery meat) and people were really liking her chicken and shawarma plates.

"Welcome back to the Ultimate Tailgate Challenge." Willie McGinest announced, facing a camera. "It's come down to these two finalists, with the winner getting eight tickets to the big game."

"Oh yeah!" Perry cheered, running up to him and attempting to take the tickets out of his hands. "Nothing better than me and seven empty seats!"

"Chase! Chase! Chase!" I looked up to see a couple of students carrying Chase on their shoulders around the parking lot. Chase patted their shoulders when they neared us and they let my brother get down before they headed back to their friends.

"You hear that?" He grinned. "They're chanting my name, and not because they're angry with me."

"Great." I rolled my eyes. "You know, this is probably my one chance at a college experience, and you're having the day I wanted."

"I know. Can you take some pictures so I can show Calla?" He begged. I started to walk away. "Bree! Bree, wait!"

I stopped, and looked at him. "What?"

He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to steal your thunder, but there's no reason we can't both have fun." I considered that, curious as to where he was going with this. "I have an idea."

Before long, my brother had me dressed completely in blue, with a pair of yellow, furry leg warmers, a yellow handkerchief scarf, and a very wild, very blue wig on top of my head. "Ready to do what no Mission Creek State student has ever been able to do before?" He questioned.

"Oh yeah." I agreed. I sped away, intent on my mission. I didn't stop running for a second, not until I reached the parking lot once more.

I skidded to a stop in front of the college guys, holding a large Viking head in my hands. "Whoo!"

The crowd cheered. "She got the Viking mascot head! That was epic, Bree." Chase told me, grinning. The crowd cheered again, then Chase tried to take the Viking head away from me. "However, it is technically stealing, so I'm going to have to return it to its rightful owner."

He was booed and pelted with trash as a result, but he continued going, heading back towards the Vikings half of the stadium, carrying the mascot head.

"Ah, and once again everything is right with the world." I sighed happily before following Chase's attackers.

** Leo's POV **

"Hey." Perry walked over to us as I served another person one of Katherine's hotdogs. "I'm out of mustard."

"Sucks to be you." Jaden retorted, not looking away from the burgers he was cooking. Perry ignored him and addressed Big D and my mom instead.

"I'm out of mustard." She repeated. "Can I trade you for this bottle of ketchup? I found it under a bridge, so you know it's good."

"Sorry, we don't need your ketchup." My mom sneered. Perry growled and clenched her hands.

"This is what happens when I try to be nice!" She exclaimed, squeezing the bottle in her hands. A stream of ketchup burst from the bottle, shooting straight onto me, leaving a massive red stain over the Pioneers logo on my shirt. She laughed upon seeing it.

"Seriously?" I demanded. "I just put this on!"

I tried to wipe the ketchup away, but there was just so much of it that all I managed to do was cover the logo even more. "Boo!" People once again began to boo me. Wow, tough crowd.

"Leo! Stop!" My mom told me. "They think you're defacing the Pioneer mascot!"

I frowned at her, confused for a moment, before I realized why they'd think that.

"Oh, no!" I exclaimed, facing the people booing me. "No!"

"The judge is coming over! He's going to think they're booing us!" Big D hissed worriedly. Jaden pushed me away from the car suddenly.

"He's not with us!" Jaden announced before beginning to boo me as well.

"C'mon!" I stared at him before turning to my mom and Katherine. "Guys?"

"Sorry, honey." My mom apologized. "I just really want those tickets! BOO! BOO!"

"Really?" I looked at them. "That's how it's going to be? Fine."

I snatched the mustard off the car's hood and walked over to Perry. "Hey, you want some help?" I offered.

"Leo!" Katherine shouted at me, but I ignored her.

"Yes." Perry nodded. She scrawled something on a piece of paper and handed it to me. "This is my number. Give it to Mr. McGinest and tell him not to call after nine."

I looked over my shoulder at Willie McGinest, who was giving Perry a disgusted look, clearly not interested.

After that, Perry put me to work. She focused more on the kabobs and other meats at the front of the car while I dealt mainly with the chicken and shawarma.

"Dooley!" I heard Perry call after a few minutes. I looked up to see her and Willie McGinest looking at me. "These aren't ripe! My kabobs need to be flame broiled!"

Glancing at my family to see how they were doing, I realized that Perry was right and that we needed to amp up our game to win. I stepped up to the front of the car, smirking.

"I got this." I assured her before activating my pyrokinesis. A ball of flames appeared in my bionic hand, and I held them down to the kabobs, cooking them. Willie McGinest looked on in interest until I was done, then accepted a kabob from Perry.

"That's delicious." He hummed.

"Thanks." Perry smiled.

"That's not fair; he's using bionics!" Big D protested. Jaden looked at Katherine.

"Quick, what can you do?" He demanded. She looked at him.

"Geoleap and create earthquakes." She answered. "But I don' think that'd be all that helpful 'ere."

"You're right." Jaden agreed. "We gotta find a way to cook these faster."

"Throw a couple of burgers in the tailpipe." Big D ordered before fiddling with some of the car's controls. "I've gotta find a way to turn the heat up."

"Donald, be careful!" My mom warned.

"I'm fine!" Big D insisted, pulling out the remote. "I just need to make it hotter!"

He hit the buttons insistently, trying to find the right one to do the job he wanted. Suddenly, the hood popped up and he paled.

"That may have been the wrong button." He said, eyes going wide.

"What do you mean 'the wrong button'?" My mom questioned.

"Duck!" Jaden shouted suddenly. Everyone hit the ground just as fireworks flew from the car, flying everywhere. People started screaming and running, trying to avoid the sparks.

"Well, that didn' go accordin' to plan." Katherine exclaimed, running to my side. We ducked behind Perry's car, using it as a wall between us and the fireworks.

Perry, meanwhile, walked towards the light show, entranced by the miniature explosions. "Ooh, fireworks." She grinned. "I love the show. Especially when it lit Pioneer Pete's on fire."

Sure enough, if you looked, you could see the town's monument in flames, burning away. "Burn Petey, burn!"

"Oh God." I muttered, shaking my head. Katherine looked at me.

"Is this what it's like all the time?" She questioned. We watched Big D approach Willie McGinest.

"Did I win?" He asked hopefully. The man just pushed him away from him, disgusted.

"Pretty much, yeah." I replied, answering Katherine's question.

** Bree's POV **

"Honey, we're home!" I announced, walking into the mentors' quarters. Bob was sitting in the arm chair, Calla, Adam, and Rio were on the couch, and a movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks, was playing on the TV.

"Hey, how was the game?" Adam greeted, looking at us. We all laughed nervously, embarrassed at what had happened.

"How are you feeling?" Chase asked, immediately going to Calla's side. Rio got up so Chase could sit beside his girlfriend.

"I'm fine, like I told you I would be." She assured him. "Just a little tired, though."

"You sure?" Chase checked. He held up the plastic bag in his hands. "I got you some ginger ale and graham crackers."

"Sweet!" Calla reached for the bag, pulling the graham crackers out in hurried excitement.

"Who eats graham crackers when they're sick? What happened to regular crackers?" Bob questioned.

"They make me feel better." Calla defended herself, already digging into the box. Chase just shrugged.

"You are so weird." He murmured.

"And you love it." Calla challenged him to deny it. "Now seriously, how was the game? Should I assume from your body color that you had fun?"

"Uh, sure." Chase agreed, a little guiltily.

"We nearly burnt down the stadium." Jaden informed them. They all looked at him.

"Wait, what?" Rio questioned, confused. Mr. Davenport quickly explained the day's events.

"…And since there was so much fire damage to the stadium, they had to cancel the game." Mr. Davenport explained, pretending to be disappointed.

"You're going to the next one." Tasha ordered.

"Yes dear." At this point, he knew better than to argue with her.

Chase patted Calla's knee before getting up. "I'm going to go take a shower." He announced. "My body paint is running…off campus."

We all grimaced as he left. Leo nodded.

"I should take one too." He decided. "I still smell like Perry's diesel dogs."

Leo also left the room. "Diesel dogs?" Rio shuddered. "Those sound disgusting."

"They were." Katherine agreed. "I ain't never tasted anythin' so rotten in my life."

"Then I guess you've never tasted Calla's cooking." Jaden grumbled. His sister glared at him and threw a graham cracker his face. He caught it with ease, smirking in her direction.

"I can't believe you guys started a fire." Adam commented, shaking his head. "Talk about careless."

"Really?" Calla looked at him. "I thought you'd be more disappointed that they started the fire without you."

"No, Calla." Adam said patiently, shaking his head. "People could have gotten hurt."

"It was very irresponsible." Bob agreed.

"Hey look!" I grinned. "They're showing it on TV!"

Rio reached for the TV remote and turned the volume up.

" _And since there's no game highlights to show you,"_ Willie McGinest said to the camera,  _"Please enjoy the most popular web clip of the week."_

The screen changed to an clip of our very own mentors' quarters. Bob was standing at one end of the room, by the fireplace, while Adam was standing by the door, holding the coffee table like a Frisbee. We watched in horror as he flung the coffee table across the room, right into our capsules. They shattered upon impact, leaving three giant piles of glass and steel.

"Whoa, those actors look just like us." Adam tried to lie his way out of this.

"By the way," Calla mentioned, "We're short a few capsules…"


	28. The Vanishing

**Chase's POV**

"Alright, so if your opponent attacks you like this…" I motioned for Calla to try and punch me. She swung her fist straight out and I deflected it. "You want to block it like that. Alright?"

Before anyone could answer Bob came running in. "I'm here! I'm here!" He shouted as he ran through the door.

"Carry on." Calla instructed the other students before following Bree and I over to Bob.

"Bob, you're late again." I accused.

"Hey, it's not my fault I overslept. It's Bree's." He retorted. Bree looked at him, confused.

"How is it my fault?" She demanded. Bob smirked.

"You keep showing up in my dreams." He replied, obviously trying to charm her.

"Dude, you gotta stop flirting with her before my brother kills you." Calla laughed lightly as Mr. Davenport and Douglas walked into the room. We all stared at them, for they were giggling excitedly like little girls.

"What's up with you?" Leo asked, looking at them. "Someone ask you to prom?"

"No." Douglas retorted grumpily. "But thanks for opening up old wounds."

"After countless hours of research and development, Douglas and I have finally perfected the most amazing bionic operating system upgrade ever." He announced. Calla nodded thoughtfully.

"I saw their plans for it – it actually looked pretty damn awesome," She murmured to me, "I'm just surprised they managed to finish it."

"Ugh, I woke up for this?" Bob commented, clearly uninterested in the news.

"This upgrade is going to be like going from motor scooters to jet engines!" Douglas announced, oblivious to Bob's distaste. "It'll make all of your abilities ten times more powerful."

That got the attention of the students. I could see them looking at each other, wide grins on their faces. "An upgrade, huh?" Leo mused, "Well, I'm not sure you could make my leg anymore powerful, but go ahead. Give it a go."

To prove his point, Leo jumped in the air and swung his leg high, the kick managing to reach above his head. Mr. Davenport and Douglas exchanged looks before Mr. Davenport put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Leo, the upgrade only works on people with bionic chips." He told him. Leo looked at him, distraught. "Be grateful; you have a bionic arm and a bionic leg. That's all you're getting."

"At least until your next horrific accident." Calla added loudly. Leo faked a laugh before glaring at Mr. Davenport. I approached them slowly.

"Mr. Davenport, are you sure that this new upgrade is safe?" I questioned. "I mean, some of the students haven't even mastered their bionics at the current level."

Bree nodded. "Yeah, Mr. Davenport, I know you want to give us the coolest thing ever, but do you have to?" She mocked me.

"Hey, Chase is right. Better to be safe than sorry." Calla defended me.

"Don't worry; I built in a skill app that allows the students to master their amped up abilities instantly." Mr. Davenport assured us.

"Bottom line? This upgrade is the best thing that Donny and I have ever created together." Douglas grinned at his brother. "I am so proud of you."

"No, I am so proud of you." They began to argue over who was more proud of the other.

"Hey!" Bree caught their attention after a couple of minutes. They stopped and looked at her. "You know what will make us all proud? If you two go back to hating each other."

"Stop Bree." We turned around at the stop of Bob's voice. His eyes were closed, but he was smiling happily. "You're embarrassing yourself."

"Is he sleeping?" Calla questioned.

"Oh, you sweet girl." Bob continued. "You don't have to beg. I'll allow you to kiss me."

He began making kissing faces, making out with the figment of his imagination. "I'll wake him up." Adam offered, but, to my surprise, Bree stopped him.

"No. I got this." She told him before speeding away. She was back seconds later, holding a punching dummy that had been adjusted to Bob's size. She slid the punching dummy in front of Bob and the younger boy began to make out with it, in front of everyone.

"Huh, they actually make a cute couple." Kieran commented, walking up to us with his arms crossed. Rio quickly snapped a picture, smirking.

"Oh, this is such a keeper." She grinned. I rolled my eyes, even though I was smiling.

"Alright, everyone back to work!" I ordered, getting them back on task.

**Calla's POV**

"Next!" I ordered, motioning for the next student to come forward for their upgrade. A tall blonde girl, Jenny, walked forward and allowed me to attach the wireless connecter to her neck. Douglas hit a button and the upgrade began to download.

"Hey guys." Mr. Davenport walked into the room. "How's the upgrade going?"

"I'll let you be the judge of that." Douglas replied as Jenny's upgrade download hit 100%. "Jenny, show him how powerful you are now."

Jenny grinned and shot a fireball at Mr. Davenport's feet. Already, I could see that it was much bigger, and presumably much hotter, than it used to be. It slid across the ground, forcing Mr. Davenport to jump into the air to avoid getting hit.

"Wow!" Adam exclaimed as we all grinned. "That is powerful. You just made an old man jump."

"And that's the last of the students." I announced, double checking my list. Yep, we went through all of them, from the twins who'd volunteered to go first, all the way to Jenny.

"Good. I'll do Adam, Bree, and Chase." Mr. Davenport offered, taking Douglas' spot.

"Yeah, you do that." Leo commented as I handed them each a wireless connector. "And the guy who really needs the upgrade will stand over here, wishing he was actually part of the family."

"Chill Leo." I rolled my eyes. "I'm already working on something special for you too."

"Really?" He grinned at me. I nodded, smirking.

"How would you like to be the proud owner of the world's first bionic nostril?"

"Bionic nostril? You can't be serious." He accused, giving me a look. "But I'm considering it; we'll talk."

"There's no bionic nostril." I told him. "But I've got a couple of prototype weapons you could have, if you want."

"Not as great as bionics, but they'll do." He eventually sighed. I rolled my eyes.

"Good to know." I replied, shaking my head.

"Okay, Adam, we'll do you first." Mr. Davenport motioned for Adam to come forward. He stepped up next to Mr. Davenport, who hit a button on the computer. To everyone's surprise, it made a really depressing beep. Mr. Davenport frowned and tried again, but all it did was make that sound once more. "That's weird – the upgrade's not taking."

"It's probably searching for his brain." Bree laughed. Mr. Davenport didn't seem convinced though.

"Bree, let's try you." He decided. Bree took Adam's spot and Mr. Davenport tried again, only to hear the beep. "Chase?" He tried Chase next, but got the same results.

"What the hell?" I demanded, pushing past my boyfriend so I could take a look at the computer screen.

"I don't get it. Why isn't the upgrade working on any of them?" Mr. Davenport sounded as confused as I was.

"Probably because their bionics are first generation." Douglas snapped his fingers. "We built the upgrade for the students' infrastructure. It must not be compatible with their older systems."

"There has to be some way you can adapt it." Chase insisted, looking seriously disappointed that he wouldn't be getting the upgrade too.

"I could probably work something up." Douglas admitted. "But given how old your bionic architecture is, you'll never be able to match the power the students have."

"Who's old now?" Mr. Davenport teased.

"So…let me get this straight." Bree said slowly. "They all just became more powerful and we're stuck like this forever?"

"It certainly is a shame." Leo mused, examining his fingernails. Clearly, he wasn't upset by this turn of events.

"If all the students are more advanced than we are…" Chase realized. "That means that Adam, Bree, and I are…obsolete."

**Xxx**

"Adam, Bree, and Chase are really disappointed about that update." I commented, sitting down at my desk. Jaden nodded.

"Tell me about it." My brother agreed. "Bree looked so upset…"

"But hey," Leo tried to be optimistic. "At least I'm not the weakest bionic human on the island anymore." I gave him a look.

"Hey, none of you are weak." I argued as Mr. Davenport and Douglas walked into the room. "Right Mr. Davenport?"

"Well…" Mr. Davenport trailed off, looking like he wanted to disagree with me. Suddenly, the hydroloop tunnel lit up, announcing the arrival of one of the cars.

"Hey, were we expecting anyone?" Mr. Davenport looked at me. I shook my head, confused. My confusion grew when the doors opened, revealing my mother, Officer Blake from the MCPD, and Daniel.

"Mom?" Jaden looked at her. Douglas took one look at Daniel and sighed.

"Here we go…" He sighed before nodding at the adults. "Officer Parker, Officer Blake."

"Douglas Davenport…" Officer Blake growled. "I haven't seen you since you scaled that wall."

"Good times, right?" Douglas chuckled nervously. Mom rolled her eyes.

"This one claims that he's your son. Is that true?" She asked, placing her hand on Daniel's s

"Maybe. Can you tell me what he did first, and then I'll let you know?" Douglas questioned in response. Officer Blake sighed.

"He's been running all over town, shooting fire from his eyes." He told us. Daniel looked at the ground guiltily. Douglas looked between the two officers and Daniel.

"Yeah, I've never seen him before in my life." He lied, trying to get out of this.

"Douglas!" I scolded, staring at him. He sighed.

"Yeah, he's mine." He admitted.

"He should be going to juvenile detention, but that's the last place I want a kid with bionics." My mother informed Douglas. "I thought you were supposed to be teaching these kids to use their bionics for good rather than destruction."

"There's like four people on the island that are above drinking age, Mom. You can't expect us to be perfect." Jaden defended us. She sighed.

"Whatever. We're letting him off the hook this time." She announced.

"So long as you keep him under control." Officer Black added.

"Thank you, officers. I can promise you this won't happen again." Douglas gave Daniel a harsh look.

"Good." Officer Blake nodded. "Because I don't want to come back here again. You machine people freak me out."

"I'll be with you in a moment, Avery." My mother told Officer Blake, who got back into the hydroloop. She looked at Douglas, then gestured at Daniel. "Your son?" She questioned. He nodded. "I thought there were only three of them."

"It's a bit of a long story." Douglas admitted, pulling Daniel away from the hydroloop.

"I see." She looked at him and shook her head. "This is the weirdest family."

"No kidding." I agreed. She glanced at us.

"Hey guys. You guys alright? Still human?" She checked. Jaden chuckled.

"No Mom, we told you that we would let you know if we suddenly became bionic or got superpowers." He assured her. She nodded.

"Good. I don't care if you get powers, just keep me informed." She told us. "Stay out of trouble."

"Never." "Are you nuts?" We retorted. She chuckled.

"I will see you both in a few weeks?" She asked. We both nodded.

"We always come home to visit you on our birthdays, Mom." I reminded her. She smiled.

"Good. I'll see you then. Goodbye Douglas, Leo, Donald, punk." She added, giving Daniel a stern look before ducking into the hydroloop. The second she was gone, attention was drawn back to Daniel and the problem at hand.

"What were you thinking, letting him leave this Academy with his bionics activated?" Mr. Davenport demanded, looking at Douglas.

"He promised me he wouldn't use them unless it was completely necessary!" Douglas snapped, looking straight at Daniel.

"C'mon! You can't give me bionics and expect me not to use them!" Daniel exclaimed.

"He has a point." I mentioned. Leo nodded.

"Remember when I first got my bionics? I-" He began, only for Douglas to cut him off.

"Quiet." He snapped at us. We used our common sense and shut up, choosing to watch this exchange in silence. Douglas turned back to Daniel.

"Do you adoptive parents know that you've been causing trouble with your bionics?" He questioned.

"No. They don't get this whole bionic thing." Daniel replied, sighing. "That's why I asked the officers to bring me here."

Mr. Davenport pulled Douglas off to the side. "What are you going to do here, Douglas?" He murmured quietly. "This is your first real chance to step up in this kid's life and be a dad."

Douglas sighed. "You're right. Daniel…" He turned to face his son, then pushed Mr. Davenport in front of him. "Meet your new dad."

"Douglas." Jaden warned loudly. The spiky-haired man sighed.

"Fine." He relented. "Look, Daniel, since I can't trust you to be responsible with your bionics, then we'll just have to teach you how to be responsible. As long as your parents approve, I'm enrolling you at the Davenport Bionic Academy."

"Really?" Daniel beamed at his dad. "Awesome."

"And since Leo has been doing such a great job as the Academy's newest mentor," Douglas led Daniel over to Leo, "I think it's only fitting that he train our newest student."

"Thanks Douglas." Leo smiled, clearly enjoying the praise.

"No problem, buddy." Douglas smirked. "See this way, if it doesn't work out, we can blame you."

"Works for me." "Yeah, that's seems fair." Jaden and I agreed. Leo sent us a glare, then looked at his newest student.

"Alright, where do we start?" He mused.

**Chase's POV**

"This isn't fair." Bree complained. She, along with Adam, Jaden, Calla, and I were hanging out in one of the emptier classrooms, the only other people present being a couple of the younger students who were preoccupied with a board game of some sort.

"I know." Jaden agreed softly from his seat. He'd been trying to get Bree to calm down and sit down with him for twenty minutes, but I guess he'd given up.

"We dedicated our entire lives to being bionic heroes and now we don't even matter." Finally, Bree collapsed back down into the seat with Jaden, falling in his arms with a hurt look on her face.

"Yeah. When you think about it, it's like we've been training our own replacements." I agreed. Adam looked at us like we were crazy.

"Guys, what's with the doom and gloom? I'm actually okay with it." He told us. Calla raised an eyebrow at that.

"You are?" She repeated. He nodded.

"I've been checking out some retirement communities and they're awesome." He held up a magazine. "Look! This one has railings on the toilet!"

We all exchanged looks. "Retirement?" Bree demanded. "No way! I'm only twenty! I don't even have my driver's license."

"You don't need one! You have super speed!" Jaden reminded her of the one of the reason she'd put off the driver's test. "And you live on an island!"

"Besides, most of these old folks homes won't even let you drive." Adam reasoned. Bree just stared at him. "But get this, there's a van that will take you to the market twice a week."

"No one's retiring." Calla told him. Adam looked at her.

"And besides, I'm going to figure out a way to give us an upgrade. And not only that, I'm going to make sure it's even better than everybody else's." I said, getting up, "After all, I am the smartest man in the world."

"Not anymore, you has-been." Bree retorted.

"Whoa…" Adam gasped. We looked at him and he showed us a page of the magazine. "This place comes with people who will change your pants. Now that's easy living."

I looked at him and shook my head before heading off to work on the upgrade.

**Leo's POV**

After Daniel's adoptive parents agreed to letting him stay at the Academy (a little too eagerly, I might add), Douglas had gotten him to change into one of the older, beginner level uniforms, while I managed to get a few of the students to help us train.

"Okay Daniel." I announced, leading the younger boy into the training area. "Since you have bionic ability replication, we'll start you off by having you touch one of these students so that you can take on their ability."

"Okay." Daniel nodded eagerly.

"Wait a minute." Bob spoke up. "This kid can just touch me and he will be able to do everything I can do?"

"That's right." I nodded. Bob reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow piece of paper. He handed it to Daniel. "Here's my class schedule and chores. Have at it. I'm going to go sleep until I'm twenty."

"Bob!" I exclaimed as he started to walk away. He turned back around, taking the sheet of paper back from Daniel.

"It was worth a shot." He grumbled, getting back in line with the rest of the students.

"Okay Daniel, go ahead." I instructed. Daniel stepped forward and looked over the students, deciding which one's powers he should mimic. Eventually, he settled on Harry. He touch Harry's arm, then turned back to me.

"Great, now you have his bionic thunderclap." I announced. Daniel grinned.

"Cool!" He clapped his hands together and they released a powerful wave, causing the room to shake and knocking everyone to the ground. Pieces of the ceiling fell in front of Daniel.

"Not so hard." I scolded, climbing back to my feet.

"Sorry." He apologized. Seconds later, Douglas walked into the room, a ceiling light hanging off his shoulders.

"Well," He mused, looking at us sternly. "I can see that this is going well."

He pulled the ceiling light off of his shoulders and I turned back to my student. "Daniel, you have to focus." I told him.

"I am focusing. But how am I supposed to master my abilities when I get a new one every five minutes?" He questioned. He was right – mastering every ability there was would take a very, very long time.

"He does have a point." Douglas agreed.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Too bad you can't upgrade him like everyone else. Then the skill app would bring him up to speed instantly.

"I can give him the upgrade." Douglas told me. "But I'm not going to, not until he shows me that he can be responsible with his bionics."

"But Dad-" Daniel tried to protest, but Douglas wouldn't let him.

"End of discussion." He cut the shaggy-haired boy off. "Now get back to your training."

"Go touch Bob's arm." I encouraged, pushing him in the direction of the girl before glancing at Douglas. "I have to be honest, Douglas, this you being a father thing is a little weird."

"I know." He agreed, his voice shrinking a bit. "It's freaking me out."

He left after that, presumably to return the ceiling light to where it belonged. I turned back to Daniel.

"You touched his arm yet?" I asked. Daniel shook his head and did so. "Great. Now let's see how you do with super strength."

"Okay." Bob agreed. Before I could stop him, he grabbed Daniel by the back of his shirt and threw him across the room.

"BOB!" I shouted, stunned.

"I know." He nodded. "I can throw him much further. Let me try again."

**Chase's POV**

I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to fix or edit the new upgrade so that it would work for Adam, Bree, and I, but to no avail. Ever attempt I made backfired or refused to work for me.

"I've got it!" I exclaimed, thinking that I'd finally figured out the problem. "If I reconfigure the operator precedence that should fix the upgrade."

I attempted to make the change and send the upgrade to my bionic infrastructure, only for my laptop to tell me that it wasn't compatible.

"You stupid hunk of junk!" I shouted, angry. Nothing I was doing was working! I leapt from my seat, throwing the laptop at the ground and jumping on it. "You're useless! Useless! USELESS!"

I took a step back, breathing heavily until I caught sight of a couple of the students, Xavier and Finn, staring at me. "Do you mind?" I questioned. "This is a private moment between a man and his computer."

They left, probably not wanting to upset me further, and I turned around, intending on cleaning up the mess. Then I noticed who was standing in the door way, looking at me with raised eyebrows. "A private moment between a man and his computer?" Calla inquired, clearly amused. "I'd hate to see what you do when you have a private moment with your tablet."

"It was pissing me off." I told her, getting on my knees and beginning to clear up the mess. She knelt down beside me, pushing the pieces of the laptop off to the side.

"Really? I thought you were happy?" She replied. I gave her a look. "Honey, you need to stop. You can't fix the upgrade – I spent most of the morning trying to. Anything you can think of, I've already tried and it's failed."

"It's just…" I broke off, still upset. "If the students are better than us, then we can no longer teach them anything. Pretty soon, they'll be replacing us on missions."

"That's not going to happen any time soon, Chase." Calla told me gently, grabbing a bag out of her desk drawer and filling it with computer pieces. I pushed the rest of them in and took the bag from her.

"But it WILL happen." I insisted, tying the bag close then placing it on top of the desk.

"Yes, it will." She agreed solemnly. "But you had to know that the students would eventually surpass you guys."

"Eventually. But I didn't think we'd have to worry about that for at least another ten years." I commented, shaking my head. "What are we going to do?"

"Well," Calla leaned forward, placing her elbows on the desk. "You could try to look at the positives."

"What positives?" I looked at her.

"For one, more capable bionic humans means that there will be more hands on deck when it comes to missions, which will therefore lead to more lives being saved. That's a positive." She pointed out. I nodded reluctantly.

"I suppose that's what matters." I grumbled. She nodded, smiling innocently at me. I frowned and glanced at my watch. "Hey, don't you have a class to teach?"

"No one showed." She told me.

"No one?" I questioned, surprised. Most of the students liked Calla's classes because even though she wasn't bionic, her classes were as hands on as Adam's. Calla shrugged.

"Yeah. Leo mention earlier that he was going to borrow some of my students to help with Daniel's training and I guess he took more than I thought." She shrugged. "It's no biggie. Besides…I kinda wanted to talk to you."

"About?" I asked, curious. She hesitated.

"Um…how's your day going?" She switched topics, backing off a bit, as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to approach the topic. I looked at her, even more curious now than I was a minute ago.

"Calla, baby, I have a lot of bionic abilities, but telepathy is not one of them." I told her gently. "If you've got something on your mind, you have to tell me, or I'm not going to know what it is."

"I wanted to talk…" She began. I urged her to continue. "About us."

"What about us?" I asked, sitting down beside her. It couldn't have been something bad – Calla was never worried about telling me when and how I've pissed her off – but it had to be important, otherwise she would have just gone and said it already.

"Have you ever thought about us starting a normal life together?" She eventually blurted out. I stared at her, completely caught off guard by where this was going.

"What?" I exclaimed, eyes wide. Calla glanced down for a second before looking back at me.

"Okay, maybe I should reword that a bit. It did sound a little rude." She decided. "It's just…we're not kids anymore, Chase and well…we've never really thought about our futures."

"I have." I interjected, offended. As if I had never thought about where this was going, or the fact that Calla was the only girl I was ever going to love or that the only thing I ever wanted to change about her was her last name. I'd been thinking about our future a lot, especially in the last few months. "Of course I've thought about it, Calla. How could you think that I-"

"I didn't mean it like that." She told me, rubbing my arm. I sighed.

"I know what you meant." I assured her. She hadn't meant to offend me at all, but was just trying to figure out a way to approach the topic. "But Calla, things have been crazy here since the beginning here, what with Sebastian, then Giselle and Troy, then Krane…"

"I know, and I'm not expecting us to go and have our entire lives planned out by tomorrow or anything. That would be insane." She assured me. And though I was relieved – how would we figure out everything in a single day – I could sense that there was more that she wanted from this conversation.

"I'm sensing a but coming." I said. She smiled slightly, blushing a bit, though for the life of me, I couldn't tell you why.

"If, IF, Davenport starts using the students for missions and if he doesn't need us here all the time…" She glanced at him hopefully. "Could we consider getting a place together?"

A place together. Like a house with bedrooms and a living room and a kitchen and bathrooms and everything that we'd have to take care of. It would be the first step towards our futures sure, and though the very thought was exciting to say the least, it would mean leaving the island.

"I thought you liked the Academy." I looked at her, confused.

"I do. I love the Academy." She promised me, sounding completely sincere. "It's just…I want us to have a place of our own. Right now what we've got is your mentor's quarters, which you share with your siblings, and my bedroom which you only sneak into three or four times a week."

"I have to sleep in my capsule, Calla." I pointed out.

"I know. I understand completely, and I'm not upset or anything." She told me quickly. "But wouldn't it be nice to have a place we could call ours. Just ours? We don't get much privacy here, and it would be nice to not have to live under Davenport's roof. Even if it's just like a one bedroom apartment or something. I just want something, somewhere we can call ours."

I looked at her for a long moment, considering it. I could completely understand her need for us to be independent and she was right about us not really having a place where we could have some or any privacy. But this would be a really big step and a really big change. It wasn't like I hadn't thought about before, though. I had just expected the next big change in our relationship to be a little different. Okay, a lot different. But I wasn't ready for that step yet, but I still wanted to make her happy.

"You really want this, don't you?" I asked after a long time, looking at her.

"I do." She told me, giving me that innocent look. God, those big blue eyes were going to be the death of me one day.

"Alright." I nodded thoughtfully. Calla stared at me, eyes wide.

"What?" She questioned, her voice hopeful and shocked at the same time. I chuckled at the look on her face.

"I said 'alright'." I told her. "If we can be sure that our absence at the Academy won't become a serious problem when it comes to missions – and if there are any problems, we can find a way to work around them – if we can be sure, we can start looking at apartments in Mission Creek. What do you think about that?"

She smiled, a real big one. Not one of those smiles that she did when she was amused or a little happy, but one of those bright ones that made her whole face light up and her eyes sparkle.

"I think I love you." She told me. I chuckled.

"Good." I told her, leaning forward and kissing her on the nose. She giggled lightly at the touch, the sweet sound assuring me that this was going to be good for us.

"Hey guys?" Bree walked into the room, interrupting our perfect moment. "Have you guys seen my students."

"Nope." I popped the P sound, giving her a dirty look in hopes that she would leave. She didn't.

"We were supposed to start training an hour ago." She told us, a confused look on her face. "And today's lesson is very important. It's called 'You're Not Better Than Me'."

I nodded, knowing better than to argue with her when her tone was that desperate. "That's weird. My students didn't show up either." Calla mentioned, frowning. "Maybe they all decided to skip?"

"Maybe…" I hummed.

"Hey, has anybody seen Bob?" We turned to see Adam walk into the room, wearing a kilt and a cabbie hat, and carrying a gold club. "Leo said he was training a little while ago but hasn't seen him since. Now that I'm retiring, I need to know if he can play golf with me on Thursdays."

"No one's retiring, Adam." Jaden announced, walking into the room. He kissed Bree on the cheek before looking at us. "Anyone seen Katherine? She was supposed to help me with kitchen duty, but I can't find her anywhere. And before you ask, no, she's not with Leo. I just checked."

"She's missing too?" Bree looked at him. "So now we're missing Katherine, Bob, and two entire classes? What gives?"

"I'm going to go see if I can track down Kieran, Spin, Rio, Taylor, or Logan." Calla announced, getting up. "This is too weird to ignore."

"We're coming with you." Bree announced, pulling Jaden along with them.

"Speaking of too weird to ignore," I turned to Adam, "Why are you wearing that?"

"The hat?" He questioned. "Because I'm a golfer."

"The kilt." I corrected, resisting the urge to call him an idiot.

"Oh. Because somebody changing my pants is easy living. This is what I call breezy living."

I chose to ignore him after that, going back to my broken laptop and thinking about the conversation Calla and I'd had.

**Leo's POV**

"C'mon Daniel!" I exclaimed, throwing another fireball at him. He held the force field up to defend himself and the fireball bounced off harmlessly. But had the fireball been bigger, his force field wouldn't have done much to protect him as it was far too small. "Make your force field bigger!"

"I'm trying!" He protested, ducking his head as another fireball hit his force field.

"Concentrate!" I insisted, throwing a slightly bigger fireball. He stumbled back a couple of steps, the force of my attacks starting to get to him.

"It's a little hard to concentrate when you keep yelling 'concentrate'!" He shouted. I threw another fireball and it knocked him to the ground, his force field disappearing as he threw his hands out to defend himself. I stopped firing on him, giving him a chance to catch his breath. "You know, this would be a hell of a lot easier if you'd just give me that upgrade."

"No." I told him, holding out my hand. He took it, using it to pull himself to his feet. "You heard your dad. He wants you to master your bionics the old fashioned way."

"Okay." Daniel sighed loudly. "But if my training's not going well, doesn't that say more about you as a mentor than me as a student?"

I smirked, almost a little proud that he was trying to pull that one on me. "Oh please, Danny-boy, I invented that trick." I told him. "You play on someone's insecurities to get what you want. It's not going to work on me."

"You're right. Maybe I'm just not ready to be a bionic student." He admitted. I nodded and began to walk back to where I'd been standing before. "Kinda like how you're not ready to be a bionic mentor."

I turned around, glaring at him. Alright, that was it. Time for the upgrade.

**Xxx**

"Alright Daniel, let's see how this upgrade works!" I exclaimed before shooting a fireball at him.

He activated his force field and immediately, I could see it was at least twice the size as it had previously been. I threw a total of five fireballs and he deflected each and every one of them with ease and precision.

"Well that proves it!" I announced as he deactivated his force field. "I am a great mentor."

"Hey, if you thought that was cool, watch this." He grinned, raising his hands. I turned around to follow his gaze and watched as all the students in the room disappeared.

"How did you do that?" I hadn't known that making people go away was an ability he had. Damn, I wish I could do that.

"I didn't." Daniel told me seriously. I frowned.

"But how could they all just disappear?" I questioned, confused. I mean, it wasn't like they all geoleaped in sync or anything, right?

"I don't know, but if anyone asks, I'm blaming it on you." Daniel told me before running off, probably to go find Douglas or something.

**Chase's POV**

"Mr. Davenport, I wanted to talk to you about something." I stopped him as he walked through the main classroom. "A couple of things, actually."

"Sure, is everything alright?" He asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Everything's fine. It's just…Calla and I had this idea-" I didn't get the chance to finish my sentence before Bree and Jaden came jogging towards us.

"Mr. Davenport, we have a problem." My sister announced. "I can't find any of my students anywhere."

Mr. Davenport looked at her. "Well, are you sure they're not just avoiding your training session?" He asked. "I mean, I've sat through your class – we all think you could use a little pizzazz."

"She's not the only one with students missing." Calla called, leading both Douglas and Kieran into the room. "I'm supposed to have thirty in classroom 3 right now, and Kieran's the only one I can find."

"Big D!" Leo bolted in from the training area, Daniel hot on his heels. "All the students in the training area just vanished."

"What?" Mr. Davenport demanded.

"Bob and Rio are gone too." Adam declared, turning the corner to meet up with us. "And I can't lose them. We have an eight o'clock tee time."

"K-Dog, can you…" Calla looked at her favorite student, but he just shook his head, a worried and concerned look on his face.

"I can't reach her." He murmured.

"Jaden?" Adam demanded. Kieran looked up, eyes wide.

"I-I can't reach Rio telepathically." He stammered. "That-that's never happened before, not even when I went to Mission Creek and she was still on the island. We've always been able to talk to each other, no problems."

"Alright, everyone calm down. There has to be a logical explanation." I reasoned. Suddenly, Kieran, along with his fellow red-level students, disappeared into thin air. "Or not."

The rest of the students, including Daniel, disappeared as well, leaving only me, Adam, Bree, Calla, Douglas, Leo, Jaden, and Mr. Davenport in the room. "Daniel!" Douglas exclaimed, watching his son vanish.

"Everybody's gone." Leo realized. "What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean we?" Adam questioned. "I'm retired."

"Dude, your girlfriend's one of the missing people." Jaden pointed out.

"And I'm coming out of retirement." Adam declared. Mr. Davenport looked between us, then seemed to make a decision.

"Bree, check the entire Academy and bring back any students you find. Search the place top to bottom." He ordered. She nodded and sped away.

"Does anyone have any idea, even a stupid idea, about where the students are? Could they have geoleaped out of their own freewill?" He questioned.

"I don't think so, sir." Calla replied. "Kieran sounded pretty worried about Rio, and he wouldn't have been acting like that if she, or the other students, had just decided to leave."

"And why would they leave, anyway?" Jaden agreed. "Some sort of prank?"

"No way. Even if they thought this would be a funny prank, there's no way they'd be able to get every student in on it without someone letting the secret slip." I replied.

Bree sped back into the room, a panicked expression on her face. She was alone. "I checked the whole Academy! All the students are gone!"

"The new upgrade must have caused a glitch and made them geoleap away." Mr. Davenport realized. Douglas shook his head.

"That can't be it; Daniel disappeared and we didn't give him the upgrade." He reminded his brother.

"…Technically that is correct. YOU did not give him the upgrade." Leo agreed, looking guilty.

"Leo?" Douglas demanded. He sighed.

"That kid was impossible to train!" He protested. "And trust me, I happen to know a thing or two about slow learners."

"I specifically told you not to give him that upgrade!" Douglas shouted.

"Don't blame me! You built the software that made everyone disappear!" Leo retorted.

"For the record, Donny has just as much to do with this as I did!" Douglas exclaimed. "If not more. A lot more. In fact, this whole thing was his idea!"

"It was not!" Mr. Davenport argued.

"Was too!"

"No it wasn't!"

"You know it was!" They began to argue like little children.

"Enough!" Calla shouted at the top of her lungs. They stopped, turning back towards her. "Who cares whose fault it is? Let's just fix this and it won't matter!"

"Calla's right." I agreed. "We have to find them. Although…" I realized something, "with them gone, we are top dog again."

"Do something!" Mr. Davenport ordered.

"Okay." I agreed. Geez, no need to yell. "I'll pull up their GPS locators and find out where they are."

I walked over to Calla's computer desk. I hit a few buttons, expecting the GPS coordinates to appear on the screen, but they didn't.

"Nothing's coming up. Their signals must have been deactivated." Mr. Davenport realized.

"Great. So now our brother and the entire student body are missing and we have no idea where they are. They could be anywhere in the world!" I exclaimed.

"Chase, chill." Jaden told me. I looked at him. "They're smart kids…well, most of them are smart kids, and they all have the phone number of at least one of you mentors, right?" I nodded. We'd made sure that the students had gotten at least one contact number each in case they got into trouble, like that time Spin, Rio, and Bob went on an unauthorized mission. "Give it an hour and I'm sure someone will call us. It's not like they're totally helpless."

**Daniel's POV**

I looked around, totally confused as to where I was or what had happened. Had I not just been talking to my family moments ago? Now I was standing in a dark room, surrounded by my fellow students.

"Where are we?" I questioned, confused.

"In a dark room with metal walls." Bob replied, standing to my left.

"I can see that, Bob." I retorted, giving him a look.

"Well then, why'd you ask?" Bob replied, sounding a little annoyed.

"I think he was looking for something more specific, Bob." One of the other students, a young boy with shaggy dark brown hair, snapped, walking over to us.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that, Spin?" Bob demanded. Suddenly, the confusion on his face cleared. "Wait, maybe this is another dream! If I squint, Spin, you could easily pass for Bree with your brown hair."

Spin slapped his hand away as Bob tried to caress his hair. "Dude!" He exclaimed before looking over his shoulder. I rolled my eyes and stepped away from them.

"It's alright, everyone!" I announced loudly. "I'm going to get you out of here."

No one seemed too interested, however. "Sorry kid, but they don't even know you." Kieran pointed out, walking up to us. His sister, Rio, and the blonde cook, Katherine, were at his sides.

"Let me give the pep talk." Bob offered before looking at the crowd.

"Ignore what he said guys. We're hosed." He declared.

"Bob!" Rio scolded.

"We've got to do something." I insisted.

"Ya got any bright ideas, kid?" Katherine questioned. I considered it, then turned to Bob.

"Bob, use your super strength to try and bust us out." I suggested. He nodded.

"Okay." He agreed walking over to the wall. He pushed against it with all his might, but nothing happened. It was almost pathetic to watch.

"Bob's right, we're hosed." Kieran announced. I glanced at Bob, still not ready to give up.

"I know! What if I replicate your strength and we try it together?" I questioned. Bob gave me a look.

"Aw, it's cute when you get all feisty." He hummed. I just stared at him, wondering how many times this guy had been dropped on his head when he was a baby.

Suddenly, a screen slid down from the ceiling and an image of a woman appeared on it. She was skinny, I noticed, with darker skin and short black hair. "I'm afraid your bionics are useless here. These walls block your pathetic little chips."

"Who are you?" I demanded, glaring at her.

"I'm the woman who's going to take out all bionic superhumans and replace them with my android technology." The woman sneered.

"Her name's Giselle Vickers. Mad scientist, psychopath, and Douglas' ex-girlfriend." Rio informed us, crossing her arms.

"You two have met?" I asked, surprised. Kieran nodded.

"This isn't the first time she's tried something like this. Last time, she kidnapped Chase and nearly killed him." He explained quickly. "We thought we'd seen the last of her."

"Well, you were wrong." Giselle told him, smirking.

"I 'ave a question." Katherine interrupted. "How'd we all get 'ere?"

"I was finally able to hack into your chips remotely and geoleap you here." Giselle replied. "Wait…where are Adam, Bree, and Chase?"

"Probably still at the Academy." Bob grinned. "See, there was this whole thing about how our bionics are newer than theirs and they couldn't get the upgrade and boy, were they upset! I mean Chase was like-"

"Shut up, Bob!" Spin snapped, glaring at his friend. Giselle rolled her eyes.

"What are you going to do with us?" I asked, looking up at the woman.

"I'm going to destroy you." She announced. "But first, I'm going to use you as bait."

The screen went black after that, and we all exchanged looks. "Guys, we have to get everyone out of here." I said.

"How? Without our bionics, I can't even walk through the walls." Rio exclaimed.

"Don't worry." I smirked confidently. "I have an idea."

**Chase's POV**

An hour later, we'd still heard nothing from the students. No calls, no texts, no emails, nothing.

"I have tried everything I can think of to remotely activate their GPS locators and nothing is working!" Douglas cried in frustration, slamming his fists down on the computer desk.

"Hey, watch the equipment." Calla scolded, pushing him away from her desk. Mr. Davenport looked at us.

"We'll have to find them the old fashioned way." He decided. "Chase, map out an urban search and rescue. We'll go mile by mile, state by state if we have to."

"That won't work." Calla told him.

"And why not?" He questioned.

"Because it'll take too long. Even with Bree's super speed, it'll take us days, if not weeks to find them." She pointed out. I sighed and looked at Mr. Davenport, fearing the worst.

"Mr. Davenport, what if we're too late?" I asked solemnly. "That glitch could have geoleaped them anywhere. They could be at the bottom of the ocean or inside an active volcano. They may already be gone."

"We're not giving up." He informed me. I nodded, though at this point, I was beginning to wonder if there was any point. There was no good reason for why the students hadn't geoleaped back here themselves, or at least tried to contact us. Even if they were goofing off somewhere, the more responsible ones like Taylor, Kieran, and Rio would have made sure to call us, or at least send us a quick text.

Suddenly, the screen to our left turned black and MISS' face, made out of three white triangles and an oval, appeared.  _"Miss Calla, there is an incoming transmission."_

We all exchanged looks. Perhaps it was one of the students. "Send it through, MISS." Calla instructed.

The screen changed once more, showing a familiar-looking laboratory, with Daniel facing the camera.  _"Hello?"_  He called, sounding scared.

"Daniel, where are you?" Leo demanded.

" _Listen, I don't have much time_ ," The kid spoke fast, looking over his shoulder.  _"Some lady hacked into our chips and geoleaped us here. She had us trapped but I busted out."_

"Good job, Daniel." Calla nodded at him. "But where are you? That place looks familiar."

"That's Giselle's lab." Bree realized.

Suddenly, Giselle Vickers herself appeared on the screen, carrying what looked like an electrical whip.  _"Hey!"_  She exclaimed, seeing Daniel.  _"What do you think you're doing? How did you escape?"_

She raised the whip and snapped it at Daniel's head. The kid ducked just in time, the end of the whip hitting the camera and cracking it.  _"Dad, hurry!"_  Daniel pleaded before racing off screen.

Giselle approached the screen, looking at us.  _"Say goodbye to your son, Douglas."_

Then, the transmission cut out, returning to the usual dark blue screen.

"Everybody, suit up!" Mr. Davenport ordered. We all raced to get changed into our missions suit, while Jaden, the only one of us without a suit, headed straight for Calla's personal weapons' vault, knowing the best toys would be there.

**Calla's POV**

The transmission had come from a large facility near the coast, though I couldn't say I surprised. Giselle's old facility had been destroyed by us (accidently, mind you), so it made sense that she needed a new one. Luckily, it hadn't taken us long to get there.

Douglas and Mr. Davenport were each armed with their custom blasters, while I'd given Jaden my Concussion Blaster and had taken my Plasma Gun for myself. Sure, it was nowhere near as powerful as the Concussion Blaster, but it was smaller and easier to use, and could shoot more charges before it needed to be reloaded.

"Alright, here's the plan." Mr. Davenport decided, looking at us. "Adam, Bree, Chase, and I will go this way. Calla, Jaden, Leo, and Douglas, you four take the other side."

"Yes sir." I nodded, loading my weapon. Before we could even split up, though, Daniel appeared, running out of the room next to us.

"Guys!" He grinned upon seeing us, heading our way.

"Daniel." Douglas breathed a sigh of relief, pulling his son in for a hug. "You're okay."

"Where are the students?" Chase demanded.

"Hiding in the other room." Daniel pointed to the room across from us. "C'mon!"

He led us into the room, one of her bigger laboratories. The room was empty, the only things present were the occasional computer. It reminded me a great deal of her old lab, where we'd nearly lost Chase, though I knew that I was only imagining the similarities.

"Whoa, this place is fancy." Mr. Davenport commented, looking around. Douglas looked at him, then rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry; I have the name of her decorator." He commented, though the sarcasm went right over Mr. Davenport's head.

"Really?" He asked, hopefully.

"No!" Douglas snapped.

"Daniel, where are the other students?" I questioned, confused. Why was the room empty? Suddenly, the doors at either end of the room slid shut.

"The doors are locking." Bree realized. Leo frowned.

"What's going on?" He demanded. The doors just behind Daniel slid open and Giselle walked out, smirking at us. All of us with actual weapons trained them on her, but we didn't dare shoot. Not until we knew where the students were and if they were okay.

"Well, well, well." Giselle mused, looking at us. "So nice to see the family all together."

"Giselle you've got five seconds to tell me where the rest of the kids are before I blast you." Douglas threatened, his blaster aimed at his head. I smirked a bit, glad that his crush on her had completely disappeared. Just the thought of blasting her made me happy.

"One thousand one, one thousand two," Giselle counted the seconds as she walked over to a computer, "One thousand three, one thousand four. There they are."

She flipped a switch on her computer and it showed us a live stream off the students. All of them were in there, a mixture of red, orange, green, and…yellow? But that couldn't be. The only yellow student was Daniel, and even though the kid in the footage looked identical to Douglas' son, it was impossible for him to be in two places at once.

"Wait, how is Daniel in there and out here at the same time?" Adam questioned. He gasped. "It's just like the last time, with the two Chases! This lady and her magic tricks! She gets me every time."

"It's a trap." Douglas realized, turning his weapon on the fake-Daniel. "That's not my son."

"That's where you're wrong." The kid smirked. "I am your son. Just not the one you think."

Giselle hit a couple of buttons on her watch and Daniel's face began to warp. His entire body changed until he became a familiar face.

We all stared at him in absolute shock. No… "Marcus?" Douglas asked, stunned.

Marcus smirked cockily at us, clearly enjoying the looks on our faces. "Good to see you, Dad."

**Daniel's POV**

"How this plan of your going?" Bob asked me, walking up behind Rio and I as we fiddled with the wires of Giselle's screen. "I'm trying to keep the others calm with small talk, but when I ask where they grew up, they always say 'I don't know, I don't remember'."

Rio and I exchanged looks. I'd been filled in on the whole memory wipe thing by Leo, so even I knew why they were answering like that. "Where'd you grow up, Bob?" I asked.

"I don't know. I don't remember." He replied, shrugging. I nodded, then went back to my work.

"There." I jerked my head at Rio, motioning for her to back up. "When I touch these two wires together the force of the charge should be strong enough to blast a hole in the wall."

"Sounds good. You sure it'll work?" Kieran questioned.

"Nope." I answered honestly.

"I like those odds." Bob commented, backing up. I took a deep breath and touched the two wires together.

I gasped, feeling the force of the charge throw me back onto the ground and the air rush from my lungs. I lay there on the ground, gasping for breath, confused.

"Daniel!" Someone shouted. "Are you alright? Talk to me! What do you see?"

I raised my hand drowsily, towards the sky. "I see an open field…blue skies…"

"He's outside! He escaped!" Someone else said. Bob, I think. "He's a genius."

"Quite the opposite, actually." Rio helped me sit up. "Seriously kid, you alright?"

"Uh huh." I felt kinda weird and there was a strange buzzing in my ears, but aside from that I felt fine. But my plan had back fired, and we were still stuck in here.

**Leo's POV**

No way…this was impossible. Marcus was dead. He died ages ago! He was supposed to be dead!

"What's wrong, Dad?" Marcus questioned, raising his eyebrow. "No hugs, no 'good to see you's? Where's the love?"

"How is this possible?" Douglas demanded, his voice rough.

"Yeah." Chase agreed. "We saw you get crushed under all that rubble."

"When I was making my 'movie', Douglas couldn't stop bragging about his greatest creation ever." Giselle explained smugly. "An android with bionic speed, strength, and intellect. I spent so much time trying to steal Chase's intelligence that I completely overlooked the fact that Marcus already had it. So I dug him up and reassembled him, piece by piece."

"Oh, we should try that with Grandma Davenport!" Adam gasped. We chose to ignore him.

"Marcus' bionic intelligence gives him a photographic memory, which means he remembers everything from his past, and boy, does he have an ax to grind with you, Douglas." Giselle sneered.

"Me? Why me?" Douglas protested. He pointed at Calla and I. "Calla and Leo were the ones who hated you!"

"Me?" I gasped dramatically. Calla considered it.

"Well, yeah, that's true." She admitted. I shrugged.

"Yeah, dude, we wanted you dead." I agreed. She nodded.

"Can you go back to being dead?" She inquired hopefully.

"Oh, I'll deal with you two later." Marcus promised us before glaring at Douglas. "But you…When they attacked me, you ran away! You were my creator and you left me to die!"

"Well," Douglas, to my surprise, looked a little guilty about that, "to be fair, I didn't think you were coming back."

"Whatever." Calla rolled her eyes and aimed her Plasma Gun at Marcus. She had a steely look in her eyes, making her seem a lot more dangerous than one would think she was. "I saw we finish this once and for all."

Marcus merely rolled his eyes and used his telekinesis to toss the weapons in Big D, Douglas, Jaden, and Calla's hands away. "Well that was rude." Calla complained, looking down at her empty hands. Marcus smirked.

"No exoskeleton to protect you now, huh, sweetheart?" He sneered. Chase reached out and pulled Calla away from our old enemy, glaring at Marcus.

"You don't stand a chance against us." Giselle laughed lightly. "I upgraded Marcus' technology. I've made him more powerful than ever."

"Well he's going to have to be more powerful, because there are four of us now." I announced, smirking at the confused look on Marcus' face. "That's right, Bushy-Brow, I'm bionic now too."

He raised his eye brows skeptically. "Seriously?"

"It's just his little arm." Giselle assured him.

"And my little leg." I added defensively.

"It doesn't matter how powerful you are." Chase growled. "We took you out once, and we'll do it again. Get him!"

Adam, Bree, Chase and I all started forwards, but Marcus flew up into the air using his levitation ability. He threw out his hands and the four of us were hit by a powerful electrical wave. It threw us backwards, right into the far wall.

"Guys!" Douglas, Jaden, Calla, and Big D raced to our sides, checking if we were alright. Giselle and Marcus looked down at us, smug.

"Nice work." Giselle laughed.

"Thanks Mom." Marcus replied. She looked at him.

"Don't call me that." She told him. "We're not there yet."

"Kay." He agreed.

**Chase's POV**

I woke to the sound of Bree screaming, the sound jerking me back to complete awareness. "What?" I demanded breathlessly, disorientated. Kieran was kneeling above me. "Bree?"

"Relax, Bob just tried to give your sister mouth to mouth." He explained, getting up and offering me his hand. I took it gratefully, letting him pull me to my feet. From what I could tell, me, Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo, and all of the missing students were trapped in a strange dark room.

"Where are we?" Adam questioned, looking around.

"In a dark room with metal walls." Bob told us in an annoyed tone. "What is wrong with you people? Open your eyes!"

I shook my head, clearing it. I could remember what had happened – after Marcus had knocked me and my siblings to the ground, he'd attacked us relentlessly, until I blacked out. While we were out, they must have put us in here. I did a quick headcount, checking on the students. "Wait…where's Daniel? And where are Calla, Jaden, Mr. Davenport and Douglas?"

"When they brought you guys in, they pulled Daniel out." Rio replied. "But as for the others, we haven't seen them at all."

"But they've got to be goners by now." Bob added unhelpfully.

Suddenly, the screen to our left activated, showing Giselle's face. "Well, now that everyone's here, we can finally get this party started." She announced. "You're inside my induction chamber. When activated, it emits an electromagnetic wave so powerful it'll melt your bionic chips right through your necks."

"She kills a party faster than Chase." Adam grimaced. I looked at him, offended, but did not comment.

"Once your chips are destroyed, we'll finally be rid of bionic humans, forcing the world to turn to my bionic androids." Giselle told us. I pushed through the crowd so I could get a better look at her.

"If your androids are so much better than us, why do you have to destroy our chips at all?" I challenged.

"I don't." She replied. "I just want to watch you suffer a slow and painful death."

She hit a button off screen and two things happened simultaneously: One, the screen turned black, and two, a bright white light flashed in the room.

"Ah!" I grimaced, reached for my head. The pain was so intense that it felt like something had exploded in my skull.

"What was that?" Bree questioned, wincing.

"A flash…" Bob's eyes went wide. "She's not just torturing us, she's taking pictures while she does it!"

"We have to get out of here, like now." Rio looked at me. "Got a plan, Mr. Mission Leader?"

"Give me a second." I muttered, trying to think through the throbbing pain in the base of my skull.

**Calla's POV**

I gritted my teeth in frustration, pulling at the ropes that bound me to my chair. Unfortunately, Marcus was pretty damn good at tying knots, and I could hardly feel my fingers, let alone break free. While Adam, Bree, Chase, and Leo were locked in that induction chamber, Mr. Davenport, Jaden, Douglas, and I had been tied to chairs, then tied together so that Douglas and I had the backs of our chairs pressed against Mr. Davenport and Jaden's.

"Good." Giselle hummed, looking down at her monitor. "Looks like the pain is beginning to set in."

"You don't have to do this." Mr. Davenport pleaded with her, shooting a worried look towards the monitor, towards his kids. "We can make a deal. What do you like, leather jackets? I'll buy you as many as you want."

"Better yet, he probably has some that will fit you." I added. Giselle ignored me.

"The only thing I want," She declared, addressing Mr. Davenport, "is to watch your face as I melt their chips. Why don't I turn the volume up so you can hear every last one of their screams?"

"You're going to hell, bitch!" I snapped angrily. "You hear me?"

"So be it." She replied, not caring. Douglas sighed.

"Giselle, you're clearly acting out because we're no longer dating." He told her. I raised an eyebrow at that. He didn't seriously believe that, did he? Giselle walked over to look at him, looking just as bemused by his comment as I was. "It's okay. You can have me back. I mean, yeah, you're a psychopath, but I've dated worse."

Giselle smiled and shook her head. "Douglas, how rude of me. Here I am, providing a show for your friends, and you don't get to see anything." She leaned forward, her hands on the arms of the chair. "Let's fix that. Bring him in, Marcus!"

The door in front of Douglas and I swung open and Marcus walked in, pushing Daniel in ahead of him. "Hey, get off of me!" Daniel shouted. "Dad!"

"Now you can both watch your kids as they beg for mercy." Giselle said, obviously enjoying this. Douglas struggled in his chair for a moment, furious.

"Get your hands off my son." He ordered.

"Your son?" Marcus repeated. "You mean like I was your son?"

Douglas struggled more, angrily pulling at the ropes. "Wait, he's my brother?" Daniel's voice went up a few octaves, terrified.

"Yeah, but not for long." Marcus replied. He threw Daniel across the room and the kid landed hard on his back, a few feet in front of Giselle's computer.

"Daniel!" Jaden shouted, but the kid didn't respond, instead rolling over onto his side with a pained expression on his face.

"Marcus, please." Douglas begged. "Stop."

"Are you kidding? I can do this all day!" Marcus exclaimed. "And I think I will."

"We need to get out of here." Jaden murmured. I nodded.

"I know. Give me a minute to come up with a plan." I whispered back, trying to think.

**Leo's POV**

"God…That's jus' awful!" Katherine complained, rubbing the back of her neck with a grimace on her face. I glanced at her before continuing to bang on the wall harshly, looking for a weakness I could exploit.

"It's going to be okay." I assured her. She nodded, but didn't answer, continuing to rub the back of her neck.

"This thing is solid steel – there's no way we're getting through without our bionics." Adam told us, shaking his head.

"My neck is burning and I can feel my body getting weaker." She moaned, rubbing her temples.

"Now you know how I feel every time you walk into the room, pretty lady." Bob commented, smiling at her. She gave him a look, then turned back to us.

"Guys, if we don't find a way out, all of our chips are going to be destroyed." She continued.

"Everyone except for Leo." Chase corrected, looking at me with a light in his eyes that told me he had a plan. "You don't have a chip, so you should still have full use of your bionics."

"Right." I agreed, nodding.

"Well don't just stand there! Get us out of here!" He ordered. I nodded and walked over to the wall. I swung my arm back, tightened my fist, then punched the wall as hard as I could. I made a noticeable dent in the wall, but nothing more. I tried again, and I only managed to dent it some more. At this rate, it would take me forever to get us out of here.

"Leo, if your arm ain't goin' to cut it, try usin' your dainty little leg." Katherine encouraged. I looked at her.

"Dainty?" I repeated. "I'll show you dainty! This right here is one hundred percent rock hard quad!"

To prove my point, I kicked my leg back, slamming it into the metal wall. It broke away instantly, leaving a hole big enough for everyone, even Adam, to get through. They all stared at me, surprised I could actually do that. "What do you say now, Kat?"

"That boys are easy ta manipulate when their masculinity is bein' threatened." She replied smugly, pushing past me on her way out of the induction chamber.

**Calla's POV**

Suddenly, Giselle's monitor started beeping rapidly, a red light flashing from the screen. I craned my neck to try and see it better, but it was difficult to see anything from where I was sitting. "What's going on?" Jaden hissed, concerned. I shook my head helplessly, unsure.

"I'll take care of them." Marcus offered, looking from the monitor to Giselle. Take care of them? Had they escaped? I hoped so – as much as I hated to admit it, there was no way we were getting out of here on our own.

"No!" Giselle snapped. "Let them get their hopes up. They won't get far."

She picked up a large silvery device that reminded me of a lightsaber handle. Not that she could have built herself a lightsaber – I'd been trying to design a functional one for years without any success. Giselle left the room just as Daniel managed to get to his feet.

Glaring furiously at his brother, the fourteen year old kid reached for a metal pipe that was lying discarded by the table. He swung it with all his might, but instead of hurting Marcus, the pipe simply bent around him. Marcus looked at him, not at all amused. "What are you doing? You broke my pipe!" Daniel accused, backing up a few steps.

Marcus shrugged, then grabbed Daniel by the arm. He twisted the arm so that Daniel was forced to drop the pipe and pushed him forward, the arm held at what must have been a painful angle behind Daniel.

"Dude, he's just a kid!" "Leave him alone, Marcus!" Jaden and I protested, knowing that Marcus could and would seriously injure the kid.

"Marcus!" Douglas called, attempting to reason with him. Marcus stopped, but didn't release Daniel. "I know I built you to be evil, but I can reprogram you. We can be a family again. You, me, Daniel…maybe we'll adopt a girl or a kitten."

"I hate cats." Marcus growled, pushing Daniel farther away, pulling on his arm more. I winced, knowing that if he applied just the right amount of pressure in just the right spot, he could break Daniel's arm with ease.

"C'mon, Marcus, it's me, your dad." Douglas pleaded with him, his voice somewhat soothing. "Let's fix this. All you have to do is untie us."

To my genuine surprise, Marcus actually looked like he might go for it. He looked like he might actually untie us and help us beat Giselle and we could go free. For a brief, brief moment, he looked like a confused, vulnerable kid.

And then that moment passed, and he pulled tighter on Daniel's arm. "No." He retorted. "My only mission is to destroy every last member of your precious family."

"Does that mean Calla and I can leave?" Jaden questioned hopefully. Marcus glared at him.

"You two count." He replied, much to my disappointment. "And I think I'll start with him."

"Ah!" Daniel cried out as Marcus' grip tightened, his eyes bulging as the pain intensified.

"Marcus, I'm begging you!" Douglas cried. "Start with Donny!"

"What?" Mr. Davenport demanded, once again fighting against the restraints.

**Chase's POV**

Once we were free of the induction chamber, we raced through the halls with the students. We had to find Calla, Jaden, Daniel, Douglas, and Mr. Davenport before Giselle and Marcus hurt them, and we had to stop the two of them from achieving their goals.

"Wait, hold up." I ordered, looking around. The entire student body stopped, standing in the middle of a particularly large hallway. I looked around, not sure which way to go.

"This place is too big! All the hallways look the same!" Bree exclaimed in frustration.

"I'll go this way." Leo offered, pointing towards a door. "You guys cover the rest."

"Go." I nodded. He jogged out of the room and I turned back to my siblings. "Let's go."

I turned to run in the other direction, only to come face to face with Giselle.

"Leaving so soon?" She asked, a smirk on her face.

"Give it up, Giselle." I told her. "You're outnumbered. We can easily take out you and Marcus."

She nodded. "That would be true…if you were still bionic."

I frowned. "What are you talking about?" I questioned, confused. "We escaped before you could finish the job."

"Your chips were destroyed after the first flash." Giselle informed us. We stared at her, shocked.

"What?" Bree demanded. I didn't say anything, instead trying to access my onboard computer, or my telekinesis, or any of my bionic abilities. But there was nothing. I couldn't do anything.

"Your bionics are gone forever." She smirked at us. We all continued to stare, processing that.

Gone forever. We were no longer bionic superhumans. We were humans, just like Calla and Jaden.

"Now that you're just a bunch of useless humans," Giselle continued, smirking at the stunned looks on our faces, "what do you say I finish you off for good?"

She raised her arm, activating the silver handle in her hands. A electric blue whip appeared, the energy coming from the handle.

"Oh please. You think your little electric jump rope scares us?" Adam challenged. Giselle raised an eyebrow at snapped the whip at a nearby pedestal. "See? Nothing even happened."

The moment he finished, the pedestal broke in two, the whip leaving a clean slice through it. "You were saying?" Giselle questioned. We all exchanged looks.

"Kieran, Katherine, and Rio, get the rest of the students back to the Academy." Bree instructed. "We'll handle Giselle."

"No way! I'm not leaving my woman!" Bob protested. Bree let out a frustrated sigh, finally having had enough.

"I am not your woman, Bob!" She exclaimed. Bob shrugged.

"Alrighty." He agreed. "Then see ya. I'm out of here."

He turned around the left, the students following after him. "Be safe." Rio told us, looking at Adam in particular. He nodded and gave her a reassuring smile before she followed her brother and the rest of the students out the door.

"They're of no interest to me." Giselle told us, watching them go. "You're the ones who kept getting in my way. But not anymore."

She raised her whip above her head, smiling confidently. "We may not be bionic anymore, but we're not going down without a fight." I told her.

Giselle let out a fierce shout, snapping her whip at us. We all jumped out of the way, hitting the ground.

"I never thought I'd ever say this, but…" Adam took a deep breath. "LEO HELP!"

**Calla's POV**

I winced, watching Daniel worriedly. Marcus was cruel, using his telekinesis to beat him up in front of Douglas. The poor kid didn't have enough time to catch his breath before taking another punch.

"Marcus, c'mon!" I protested, watching Daniel take another hit. Marcus threw him to the ground, glaring at the fourteen year old.

"Wait a second." Mr. Davenport suddenly froze. "Marcus is a bionic android."

"Yes, Donny, and you're a middle aged man. It's nice to see you keeping up." Douglas retorted sarcastically.

"No!" Mr. Davenport hissed, ignoring his brother's comment. "Daniel has power replication! If he can touch any bionic human and take on their ability, can't he do that to Marcus?"

"He's right." I realized, nodding.

"Good thinking, Mr. D." Jaden complimented, nodding.

Meanwhile, Marcus had pulled Daniel to his feet using his telekinesis, choking him without having to touch him. "I think it's time to put you out of your misery." He declared.

"Marcus! Stop!" Douglas shouted. Marcus dropped Daniel, slowly turning towards us. "He had nothing to do with this! I'm the one who betrayed you! If you're going to take anyone out, take me!"

Wait, what? No!

"Uh, Douglas?" Jaden looked at him nervously. "You do realize that we're all tied to you, so if he takes you out, he'll take the rest of us out too?"

Douglas hesitated. "Yes." He finally admitted. "Sorry kids."

"What about me?" Mr. Davenport protested. Douglas rolled his yeah.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." He replied, pretending not to care.

Marcus extended his arm, a large ball of electricity appearing in the palm of his hand. "So long, Dad." He smirked.

"Dad, please." Daniel begged as he managed to get onto his elbows. "Don't let him do this."

"It's okay Daniel. I created the problem, so I should take the hit." Douglas told him. "You're just a bionic human. You'd never stand a chance against a bionic android like Marcus."

It was obvious that Douglas was trying to clue Daniel in while Marcus charged up his power, but the kid just wasn't getting it.

"Not the face, not the face, not the face." Mr. Davenport whispered pleadingly.

"What I'm saying is, you're both bionic!" Douglas insisted. Daniel looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Yes, we're both bionic!" He agreed in an overly annoyed voice.

"Dude!" I snapped, jerking my head at Marcus. "Bionic!"

I don't know if it was how I said it, or if maybe his mind was just a little slow and was finally picking up on what Douglas had said, but Daniel's face cleared of all confusion. "Oh."

"You're forgetting one thing: I'm more powerful than he'll ever be!" Marcus reminded us, about to attack.

"I'm not so sure about that!" Daniel exclaimed, grabbing Marcus' ankle. Distracted, Marcus deactivated his electricity ball and looked down at him, a confused look on his face.

"What are you doing?" He asked, almost sounding curious. Daniel got to his feet.

"Ending our family reunion." He replied, holding out his hand. A ball of electricity of his own appeared in it, surprising Marcus. Daniel didn't give him a chance to defend himself, shooting the ball straight at him.

The ball of electricity literally broke Marcus, his android body shattering like glass. We all stared at the pile of broken Marcus in shock.

"Oh come on!" I looked over my shoulder to see Leo standing in the shoulder, a very pissed off look on his face. "I wanted to do that!"

"Well you missed your chance." I retorted, struggling against the restraints slightly. "A little help here?"

"Fine." Leo agreed. He and Daniel ran to our sides, beginning to untie us.

"Where are the others?" Mr. Davenport demanded.

"We split up." Leo replied, backing up so I could get out of my chair. I rubbed my wrists gently, wincing at the rope burns. "What about Giselle?"

"She went looking for all of you." Jaden replied. He headed over to the nearby table where Giselle had put our weapons. He quickly handed them out. "Let's go."

"Agreed." Douglas nodded, leading the way out of the room.

**Chase's POV**

Giselle snapped her whip at us again, almost hitting me in the face. "We've got to get that whip out of her hands." Bree hissed at us.

"Easier said than done without our bionics." Adam reminded her.

"Guys, we're more than just our bionics. We can outsmart her on a human level." I told them, and I truly believed it. We were supposed to be heroes, and if there was anything I'd learned from watching Calla, Jaden, and Leo throughout the years, it was that it didn't take bionic to make a hero. If they could do take on bad guys twice their size and strength without bionics, we had to at least try. "Adam, I need you to distract her."

We jumped back as she swung the whip at us once more. "Got it." Adam agreed, not knowing what my plan was, but going with it anyway. "Hey Giselle! I've got a question for you!"

He walked up to her, a smirk on his face. "Have you ever seen a bionic guy dance? Five, six, seven, eight!" Adam began to dance for his distraction. Not exactly the distraction I had in mind, but it did appear to be working.

"Let's see how well you dance when I whip you in half!" Giselle exclaimed, all her attention on Adam. She pulled out her whip.

"Bree, now!" I shouted. Bree hit the ground, swinging her leg out. She kicked Giselle from behind, knocking her over, the whip flying out of her hands.

I caught it mid air, deactivating it. "Chase!" Adam complained, sounding like a pouting child. "You ruined my distraction dance."

Giselle suddenly leapt to her feet, pulling another whip out of her jacket. "Oh come on! How many of those things do you have?" I demanded.

She didn't answer, instead swinging it at us with all her might. "Watch out!" I shouted. Adam and I both leapt into the air, while Bree bent over backwards, the tip of the whip just barely missing her.

The whip snapped back at Giselle, wrapping around her torso. It fell to the ground, the handle clattering loudly upon impact. "Seriously?" Bree questioned. "It didn't even scratch her!"

Bree spoke too soon. One minute Giselle was standing, and the next she was lying on the floor, her body a bloody mess.

"No, there it is." Bree corrected herself, looking away in disgust. I didn't blame her – it wasn't exactly a pretty way to die.

"Guys!" We looked away from Giselle's body as Mr. Davenport, Calla, Jaden, Daniel, Douglas, and Leo raced in. "You're alright."

"Ooh, but she is not." Calla exclaimed, staring at Giselle's body. "What did you do?"

"Hey, that was all her." I told them. "Now c'mon, we have to go find Marcus."

"Already took care of him." Daniel replied.

"Really?" Bree asked, surprised.

"Yep." Daniel smiled proudly. I nodded, also proud of him.

"Not bad for one day of training, huh?" Jaden asked, patting my younger brother on the shoulder.

"Yeah, you should have seen my boy, Daniel." Douglas put his arm around Daniel. "He was great."

"Thanks." If it were possible, Daniel's smile would have grown.

"Man, did you step up." Douglas continued. "Finally, I can say I've created a kid I'm proud of."

We all looked at him, just a little offended. "Ahem." Leo drew the attention back to him. "Let's not forget who freed the entire student body, not to mention, saved the three of you from having your chips destroyed."

Right, they still didn't know. "Actually…" Bree looked at us hesitantly. "You didn't stop that from happening?"

"What?" Mr. Davenport looked at us.

"The chips were destroyed instantly the moment she activated the induction chamber." I explained. "The pain we felt afterwards was just the after-effects."

"So…your chips are gone? You're no longer bionic?" Jaden looked at us. Calla shook her head.

"No, that's can't be true." She told him before glancing my way. "Can it?"

"I'm afraid it is. We're human, I guess." I told her, still reeling from that news. Human…that was new.

"We can fix this." Mr. Davenport assured us.

"How?" Adam demanded, looking at him.

"I don't know, but we will." He promised us. "But if we're going to find a fix for your melted chips, we're going to need to take you back to the lab in Mission Creek."

"Woohoo! We're going home!" Adam grinned. We all headed out the door, Douglas and Mr. Davenport behind us.

"Hey, is that her whip?" Calla asked, looking at the object in my hands, her eyes large and curious.

"One of them, yeah." I replied, chuckling at the expression on her face. "You want it, don't you?"

"Uh-huh." She replied. I smiled and handed it to her.

"Happy early birthday." I told her. She grinned. "Just don't kill yourself with it accidently, alright?"

"Relax, I'm not an idiot." She assured me, taking my hand.

**Leo's POV**

"They've been taking a while." Chase commented, pacing the room. He kept looking at the door that led to the backroom, where Calla, Douglas, and Big D had spent the past four and a half hours trying to figure out if they could fix our chips.

"Yeah, they have." I agreed, thinking. They hadn't come out to update us on anything, though Calla had come out here an hour ago to grab something from her desk drawer. She didn't answer any of questions, only grabbing a weird black remote from her drawer before heading back into the room.

"Guys!" What seemed like hours later, the door finally opened and Big D finally left the room, Calla and Douglas following closely behind him. "Good news."

"You figured out how to fix our chips?" Adam asked hopefully. Douglas glanced at his brother, then shook his head.

"We didn't." He told us before jerking his head at Calla. "But she did."

"Really?" Jaden looked at his sister skeptically. "How?"

"With this, actually." She held up the black remote I'd seen earlier.

"What is it?" I questioned.

"It's a Bionic Disrupter. I found it at one of Douglas and Mr. Davenport's old warehouses a couple of years. Pretty much, it deactivates all bionic chips within a specific range." She explained. We all exchanged looks.

"Okay, but how does this help us?" Bree questioned.

"Well, Giselle's induction chamber worked using the same technology. Yes, it was a very advanced form of the technology, which allows it to destroy chips rather than just deactivate them, but its basic system programming is the same." She explained. "All we have to do is reverse engineer a fix from this."

"Seriously?" Adam stared at her. Douglas nodded.

"Combined with Calla's idea to reverse engineer the damage, and with my own notes on your bionic chips, we'll be able to create one universal chip that can adapt to any bionic upgrading system."

"Which means, all three of you will get the same upgrade as the students." Calla added.

"How long until then?" Chase demanded, grinning.

"Not sure, but probably somewhere between 10 to 12 hours." Big D replied.

"So this was all Calla's idea? Her plan?" Daniel confirmed. Calla nodded. "Okay, I've got one question, Uncle Donald."

"Sure, what is it?" He asked.

"Why is she working for you and not the other way around?" He demanded. "She's a genius!"

Calla laughed at that, ruffling his hair playfully. "I knew I liked you for a reason, kid."

"He's right though." Chase told her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're brilliant."

Calla beamed at his words, clearly enjoying the praise. "Please, I just happen to pick that thing up while you and Dougy were beating up Fisto Roboto."

"Still. We owe you one." Adam told her.

"Ooh, could that one you owe me be ice cream? I'm hungry." She requested, smiling.

"Sure. We will go out and buy you ice cream later." Adam chuckled. Daniel, meanwhile, was taking in the lab.

"I can't believe you guys got to live down here." He commented. "This place is so cool."

"Yeah, well, we were also force fed food pellets that were shot out of a tube," Bree pointed out, "so it wasn't exactly a fun factory."

"This lab is where it all started, Daniel." Chase told the shaggy haired boy.

"Well, technically it all started in a different lab, but your dad blew that one up." I added.

"I was going through a phase!" Douglas snapped defensively. Daniel still grinned.

"What happened to it, then? Is it still charred and stuff? Can I see it?" He asked eagerly. Calla laughed.

"No. We remodeled it into this lab." She explained. "Right after Mr. Davenport got a big government contract since your dad also stole all his money."

"Again, I was going through stuff!" Douglas argued. Chase frowned.

"Hey, what's in the box, Douglas?" He asked, gesturing at the transparent box in Douglas' hands. It was filled to the brim with what appeared to be spare parts.

"Marcus." He replied cheerfully.

"What?" I demanded, staring at him. "Why would you bring his parts here?"

"As evil as he was, he was still my creation." Douglas reasoned. "I felt kinda bad, but if I could put him back together and reprogram hi-"

"NO!" We all told him. We'd had enough of Marcus for the rest of our lives.

"Fine." Douglas relented. "But I'm making his eyebrow into a bracelet."

"You do that." Calla told him.

"Hey guys." My mom greeted, walking into the room.

"Hey." We all replied. She walked straight to Big D, but instead of kissing him hello like usual, she turned to us.

"I'm glad you're all here because there's something we've been meaning to tell you." She told us as Big D pulled her closer to him. We all exchanged looks, curious as to what she was talking about. "I'm pregnant."

Holy…I lunged forward, pulling my mom into a tight hug. Holy crap! I was going to be a big brother!

"Congratulations, Tasha!" "That's incredible!" "Awesome!" "Nice work, Mr. D!" Everyone else congratulated her and Big D.

"Woohoo!" Adam grinned. "Hear that everybody? We're gonna have a bionic baby!"

"Oh, no. You are not turning my baby girl into a bionic freak." Mom told Big D. She glanced at the rest of us bionic 'freaks'. "And I mean freak in the nicest way possible."

"Wait a second, did you say you're having a girl?" Bree demanded, staring at them. Both Mom and Big D nodded, smiling proudly. "Yes! I'm finally getting a sister!"

"And who better than a sister to change half the diapers?" Mom joked, though Bree wasn't too amused.

"Yeah, I'm over the whole sister thing." She decided, pretending to no longer care.

"You know what else? My little sister won't need bionics." I decided. "She'll have me to protect her."

"Aw." My mom gave me a little side hug, while Big D scoffed.

"Who are you kidding? We all know that baby is going to be protecting you." He joked. I glared at him, but only half-heartedly. The excitement from having a little sister on the way was too much for me to actual be annoyed.

"Wow. All those years living down here, hiding our bionic secret, and look at us now." Chase mused, his arm around Calla's shoulders. "It's kinda crazy how life works, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Bree agreed, smiling. "You know, I'm actually kinda miss this place."

"Me too." Adam agreed, walking over to Chase. "You know what I miss most about it?"

"What?" Chase asked, curious, and completely unaware of where this conversation was going. The rest of us knew, though, and even Calla had the sense to step out of the way.

"This." Adam punched Chase in the arm really hard.

"Ow." Chase rubbed his arm, glaring at him. "You do know that without our chips, you don't have super strength and I'm just as strong as you, right?"

"Uh…" Adam's smile faded. "I do now."

Adam raced for the door, Chase chasing him, fully intending to get even while he still could.

"C'mon guys, let's go upstairs and have ourselves a nice, big celebration dinner." My mom suggested.

"Actually," Calla stopped her. "Jay and I were thinking of heading home."

"It's been a while since we've visited our mom, and she would love the surprise." Jaden explained.

"Tell her I said hello." Mom replied, patting their arms.

"Uh, I need you both back here first thing tomorrow." Big D told them, a serious look on his face. "I need to talk to everyone about something important."

"Why not do that now?" Bree questioned, confused. He chuckled lightly.

"I think it's been enough excitement for one day." He told her. "And I'd rather do this after everyone's well rested and clear headed."

"Will do." Calla nodded. Jaden began to leave. "Hey Jay, I'm going to catch up with you, alright?"

"Sure?" He looked at her questioningly. She jerked her head at me.

"Leo and I gotta deal with something." She explained. He raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't question her.

"Alright, but I'm not waiting for you." He called over his shoulder as he and Bree walked upstairs. Douglas, Tasha, Daniel, and Mr. Davenport followed soon after.

Calla and I stood alone in the lab for a moment. W exchanged looks, then nodded and raced towards the box of Marcus. We started to pull the pieces out one by one, slamming them into the ground as hard as we could. As glad as I was that he was dead, I wished it had been me that had killed him. After everything he put me, and Calla, through, Daniel hadn't deserved that honor.

Once the floor was littered with pieces of Marcus, I felt a bit better, and I could tell Calla did too. "How'd you like that, Marcus?" I questioned, walking away. "That's the last time you mess with Calla Parker and Leo Dooley."

"Damn right." Calla agree, following me to the doors. Suddenly, we heard strange sounds from behind us. We slowly turned around, just in time to see a metallic android standing behind us, built of the pieces we'd thrown to the floor.

"How the…" I demanded, eyes wide.

"What's the matter, Leo?" Marcus' voice came from the android's mouth. "Never seen an android regenerate before? Part of my upgrade. It's what makes me superior to humans."

"You're not that superior." Calla sneered, pulling out her Plasma Gun. I activated my laser spheres, the ball of energy sitting in the palm of my hand.

"You will never defeat me." Marcus told us, sounding smug.

"Oh yeah? Well, we'll see about that." I announced before shooting the laser sphere. Marcus ducked and threw his own at us, but both Calla and I were prepared for it.

We both hit the ground, Calla rolling to her left. She stopped in a kneeling position, shooting her Plasma Gun before she even stopped moving. However, much to her disappointment, the plasma blasts bounced off Marcus harmlessly.

"What? You thought that thing would work on me just because it works on humans?" Marcus laughed.

"Yeah, kinda." Calla admitted. She glanced at me. "I've got an idea."  
She didn't stay to explain her idea, instead bolting from the main part of the lab to the back room. I turned back to Marcus, shoulders back with confidence.

I didn't wait for him to attack me, instead shooting a round of laser spheres at him before charging. He dodged each of the laser spheres, and but wasn't able to block my bionic leg as it kicked him in his mid section.

He hit the ground, but it didn't take him out. He raised his hand and threw me across the room using his telekinesis. I hit the wall with a painful thud, but I didn't let the blow take me to my knees. I landed on my feet, unsteadily, I admit, but still on my feet. I ducked as one of his electric balls flew at my head, then shot one of my laser spheres at him.

No matter what I did, I couldn't gain the advantage. But, at least Marcus wasn't either. I dodged another blast and shot another laser sphere at him.

"You're not going to win, Leo!" Marcus shouted. I shook my head.

"Bring-" Suddenly, a massive red ball of energy hit Marcus right in the chest. His body began to melt like molten lava, blobs of him splashing onto the floor. I turned with wide eyes to see Calla holding her Concussion Blaster, a wild grin on her face.

"Well, I don't think he's coming back this time." She decided. I glared at her dangerously.

"Again," My voice was scarily calm when I started, but my emotions soon got the better of me. "I wanted to do that!"

Calla laughed lightly, an innocent smile on her face. "Give me the blaster." I ordered, holding my hand out.

Her smile lit up into a playful smirk. "No." She was obviously trying not to laugh.

"Yes." I insisted, stepping closer. She held it out of my reach.

"Make me!" She laughed, backing up slightly. I started to chase after her as she ran away. She ended up tripping on a piece of melted Marcus, falling onto her butt. I dropped to my knees beside her, taking the weapon from her.

"Ha!" I snapped. She looked at me and laughed, and suddenly I was laughing too, unable to stop.

"I don't know what I'm laughing at." She cried, when she was finally able to speak.

"You just killed Marcus." I chuckled, shaking my head.

"I know. Should we really be laughing 'cause I killed someone?" She giggled, starting to calm down a little.

"Well, it was Marcus. It's not like he was a real human boy." I pointed out. She nodded, leaning back on her hands.

"True." She admitted. "But don't robots have rights?"

I stared at her. "I'm kidding." She assured me. "Unless we're talking about Vision from Avengers, in which case, he has rights."

"Fair enough." I agreed. She sighed and looked at me.

"He's gone. He's finally gone." She murmured.

"Once and for all." I nodded. "No way he can come back now."

"You're welcome." She teased.

"I still wanted to do that myself." I retorted. She rolled her eyes and pushed herself to her feet. She held out her hand to me.

"Let's go, Dooley." She told me, pulling me up.

"Hey, I wonder what Big D wants to talk to us about tomorrow?" I hummed, wondering if she knew. She shrugged.

"Not sure, but before he upgraded the students, he mentioned something about a new project." She replied. "I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

**Calla's POV**

"Why did I agree to wake up this early?" I complained, walking into the lab, an extra large Cappuccino in my hand.

"Because Mr. Davenport wanted to talk to us before we headed back to the Academy." Bree pointed out, shouldering her bag. Chase walked over to me, kissing me quickly.

"You taste like coffee." He commented. I nodded and pulled my drink closer.

"I'm not sharing." I told him.

"Calla, it's not even that early." Leo pointed out. I looked at him like he had three heads.

"Any time before 9:30 is early." I informed him. Seriously, what was wrong with him? Chase chuckled.

"Oh, remind me – I've got to stop by Tech Town before I go." He mentioned. I raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" I questioned.

"I…need a new laptop." He admitted. I nodded.

"And what about the other times?" I inquired. Chase frowned and looked at me.

"What other times?" He sounded confused.

"All the other times you've snuck off to Tech Town." Jaden reasoned. Chase looked at him, surprised. "Oh, c'mon! As if we haven't noticed how often you leave the island, saying that you're going to Tech Town for this or that."

"You went like four times last week." Adam pointed out.

"They kept selling me the wrong phone case." Chase argued.

"Say what you want. We know the truth." Bree insisted. Chase looked at her, narrowing her eyes.

"What truth?" He demanded. I smirked, playing along with the theory Bree had jokingly came up with earlier this week.

"That you're having a secret love affair with Scott, the manager." I said quickly. He stared at me.

"I'm what?" He demanded. Bree and I both laughed.

"There's no need to hide it, Chase. We totally support you guys." She insisted.

"Yeah." I agreed, enjoying the look on his face. "But when you two get married, you have to invite me."

"I'm not having a secret love affair with Scott!" He protested.

"Alright, sure. We believe you." Leo assured him, acting as if he were just humoring him. Chase glared at us in frustration.

"Morning guys." Mr. Davenport greeted us, jogging into the lab. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Chase's secret romance with Scott from Tech Town." I replied nonchalantly. Mr. Davenport looked at me, then Chase.

"…Okay." He decided not to question it, which was probably a good idea.

"Ready to head back to the Academy?" Bree asked, handing Chase his bag.

"Actually…about that…" Mr. Davenport looked at us. "We need to talk."

"About?" Adam urged him to continue.

"Since the students all have the upgrade, there's no need to train them anymore. They're all at the expert level, so it's time to start breaking everyone up into teams." He informed us. I nodded, having expected this. I already had a few teams in mind that I thought would work.

"Great." Chase smiled. "That means our team won't have to do all the work."

I looked at him, surprised. The other day, he's been so opposed to that idea. But now, he seemed pretty cool with it.

"Actually, Chase, I'm breaking you guys up." Mr. Davenport told us seriously. We all looked at him, confused and dismayed at the news.

"What?" Adam asked, frowning.

"What do you mean, Big D?" Leo questioned. "You can't just…you can't just break us up."

"I don't have a choice." He told us. "I need three of you to go to the Academy and oversee this transition, and I need three of you to stay here and work on a new project: a new team."

We all exchanged looks, shocked. "What new project?" I questioned. I knew he had been working on some new project – he'd been making all these calls lately, long distance calls too, but he hadn't told me anything about it.

"Yeah, and what new team?" Chase added.

"I can't give you all the details." Mr. Davenport told us regretfully. "But I need you to make a decision."

We all looked at each other, no one really knowing what to say. The team, splitting up? Right in half? I took Chase's hand, squeezing it. Wherever he was going, I was going. End of discussion. If he wanted to say at the Academy, I'd stay. And if he wanted to be a part of this new team, bring it on.

"I'll…stay at the Academy." Adam offered slowly. We all looked at him. "I'm not about to leave Rio and Bob behind."

"Me too." Leo added.

"And me." Jaden agreed. Bree looked at him, upset.

"What? Why?" She demanded. He looked at her gently.

"Bree, I love you, you know that. But I've got a job at the Academy, and I don't think this new team's looking for a cook?" He looked at Mr. Davenport, who shook his head.

"No, if you're going to be working on this new project, you need to be comfortable with doing field work." He told us, looking particularly at Jaden and I. My brother nodded and turned back to Bree.

"See? Besides, you've got super speed, and I'll be working on an island full of geoleapers. I'm sure I can convince Katherine to be my bionic taxi."

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll love that." Leo rolled his eyes. Jaden looked at him.

"Then I'll pay her to do it." He insisted before smiling at Bree. "We'll figure something out. But this is the right thing for you and it's right for me, okay?"

"I…I suppose." Bree still didn't seem to like the idea.

"Hey Bree." She looked at me. "You can have my geoleap bracelet."

"Really?" She looked at me, surprised. "I thought you said you were going to start using it yourself."

"Well, I've been working on a new one, a geoleap watch, so you can keep the bracelet." I replied, nodding at her. Jaden not coming with us allowed Chase and I to stay together, so it was the least I could do. "You can geoleap between the island and here whenever you want."

"I can?" Bree looked at Mr. Davenport, half expecting him to argue with her. He considered it for a moment.

"The new team won't be in Mission Creek." He told us, much to our surprise. "But so long as you keep your communicator on you at all times, I see no reason why you can't spend some time on the island."

"Okay, yeah." Bree nodded, finally accepting the idea.

"So I guess that means Calla, Bree, and I will stay." Chase said, getting back to the seriousness of this decision.

"Alright." Mr. Davenport nodded at Adam, Jaden, and Leo. "Grab your gear and get going."

They each grabbed a bag. We all watched them sadly. I hated that our team was splitting up. We'd been together for so long. First me, Adam, Bree, and Chase, then Leo, then Jaden. But it had always been us.

"Hey." Leo said gently, smiling at us softly. "Don't worry guys; we'll be back together before you know it."

"Of course we will. We still need to grab our stuff from the island." I reasoned. Really, we didn't need to go back. We all had a lot of spare clothes at our homes, and we could have the rest of my stuff shipped or something, but we would take any excuse to see our family again.

"You know what I mean." Leo told me. They all started to leave, heading out into the hall.

"Wait." Adam stopped in the middle of the hall, Jaden and Leo just a few feet in front of him. They looked back at us, then dropped their bags and walked back.

We all pulled each other close, one last group hug, not wanting to say goodbye.

"Hey, it doesn't matter where we are." Bree said as we pulled apart. "We'll always be a team."

"Yeah." We all agreed, smiling.

"Bye guys. Hope to see you soon." Leo told us, raised his hand in a partial wave.

"Stay safe, all of you." Jaden added, giving us all stern looks.

"No promises." I murmured, getting him to crack a smile.

"Chase?" Jaden questioned and my boyfriend chuckled.

"I'll keep her out of trouble." He promised. "Both of them, actually."

"Good. See ya." He followed Adam and Leo out of the room, and then they were gone. And who knows when we'd see them again.

We slowly turned back to face Mr. Davenport and he smiled at us. "So, ready for your new adventure?"


	29. Final Goodbyes

** Calla's POV **

"So, this is really goodbye?" Kieran asked, clearly upset. "You guys are really leaving?"

"Yeah, we are." I agreed solemnly, giving him a sad smile. "Mr. Davenport is giving us only a couple of days to pack before we're heading out."

Mr. Davenport had made us choose who was going to the new team and who was staying only a couple of weeks ago, and it was still hitting us all how hard this transition was going to be. It would be weird, not living in the same building as my brother, and not seeing Adam, Leo, or any of the students every day. It would be so strange not being near the ocean, like I had been my entire life, and not being right in the center of Davenport's operations at all times.

But it was also going to be strange for the students. We'd made good friends with many of them, and now we weren't going to be around to help them and or just hang. No more private training lessons for Kieran and Spin, no more blackjack tournaments with Katherine, Logan, and Bob, and no more girls nights with Rio and Taylor. They'd be going on life-saving missions, while we were elsewhere, hopefully doing something just as important.

Mr. Davenport had allowed us to come back and say goodbye though, as well as giving us the chance to pack up some of our things. He'd assured us that we'd be given some shopping money when we got to our new headquarters, so we could easily replace any clothing or other knickknacks that we left behind, but there were some things like my laptop, or weapons, that couldn't be so easily replaced.

Chase had gone straight to packing, Adam following after him so they could talk, while Bree was off with my brother, saying a 'real' goodbye. And here I was, saying goodbye to the students, and passing off some last bits of wisdom.

"Where are you guys going?" Daniel asked, looking at me with wide, curious eyes. "Tell me it's Vegas!"

I laughed at that. "I don't know, kid, but I've got a feeling that it's not Vegas."

"It could be. That'd be fun." Spin insisted.

"No, it wouldn't. Today's my nineteenth birthday – you can't do anything in fun in Vegas until you're at least twenty-one!" I pointed out. "Hell, Bree isn't even old enough to gamble yet either."

"She has a point. Maybe you guys are going to New York or something." Rio suggested. "Or Paris, or London, or…"

"I think we're staying in the US. At least, that's what I told my mom." She hadn't been happy to see me go, but we'd both accepted that I had really left home when I came to island and that I was one of those people that needed to follow my dreams. Even if my dreams involved secret missions and bionic heroes. "But New York's an option, though I hope so."

"Because of the great shopping outlets?" Rio guessed. I stared at her.

"No, because of the food." I replied, thinking she was crazy.

"She has a point." Katherine agreed. "I 'ave heard great thin's about their hot dogs."

"And besides, you can meet Spiderman." Spin agreed. I chuckled lightly, smiling down at the eleven year old.

"Yeah, that too." I agreed.

"By the way," Taylor cleared her throat, getting my attention. She reached under the table and pulled a light blue bag out from underneath. "We got you this."

"For my birthday?" I asked, smiling though I was surprised.

"It's a going away gift too." Logan added helpfully. I glanced at the card, smiling when I saw all their names on it, then pulled pen the bag. There were three things in the bag: a black picture frame, a little red memory stick, and a box of pancake mix.

"Okay?" I questioned, pulling out the pancake mix.

"It was the closest thing we could find to crepes." Bob explained sheepishly. I laughed.

"Then thank you very much." I replied before glancing at the memory stick.

"It's got details on all our bionics." Kieran explained quickly.

"I overheard you telling Chase how you wanted to recreate some of our abilities using some of your gadgets, and we thought the specs would be useful." Taylor added. I stared at them.

"This in incredible. I mean…wow. This is going to save me hours of research, months even. I can't even…thank you." I pocketed the USB, then pulled out the picture frame. "Oh, but this is definitely my favorite."

My favorite gift was the large picture frame containing a picture of the students. Kieran was in the middle of the photo, with one arm around Taylor's shoulder and the other around Rio's. Katherine was sitting on a chair in front of Kieran and Rio, with Logan leaning up against her with his head resting against her thigh. Leo was beside them both, kneeling close to the ground with his signature smirk on his face. Adam was at the back, to Taylor's left, bent down so that both he and Bob were at equal heights. Both boys were grinning at the camera. On the other side of the photo were Spin and Daniel, both shaggy haired boys laughing at something, presumably at whomever was behind the camera.

"I love this one the best, really." I smiled at them. "Thank you very much."

"So, what did Chase get you?" Rio inquired, smiling at me.

"I don't know." I admitted.

"He hasn't given you your gift yet? It's already 3 in the afternoon!" Logan exclaimed.

"I love how you're the person most interested in what my boyfriend's getting me for my birthday." I commented. "And he's been busy."

"Doing what?" Kieran questioned. I shrugged.

"No idea. He's been going to Tech Town a LOT lately." I complained. "Bree's got a theory that he's cheating on me with Scott, the manager, but that's really just a joke."

"Well, are you sure he's going to Tech Town and not somewhere else?" Bob questioned.

"Why would he lie?" I questioned, confused.

"Well…" Katherine trailed off, looking at me meaningfully. It took me a moment, but then I shook my head.

"He's not cheating on me, Katherine. That I'm sure of." I told her.

"You never know…" She sighed. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You really think Chase is one of those guys?" I questioned. She thought about it, then shook her head. "No. Trust me; I've been with one of those guys before, and I know he's not like them. He's not a cheater."

"Agreed." Taylor nodded, eager to change the subject before Katherine said something else. "Speaking of guy stuff, Katherine, I hear you and Leo are FINALLY going public."

"As if we all didn't already know." Logan scoffed, smirking. Katherine rolled her eyes.

"We figured that since almost everyone on the island had caught us at some point or another, it was time we come clean." The blonde haired girl replied, smiling brightly. "'Sides, Leo was worried about bein' teased by his siblin's, but both Bree and Chase are leavin', so it don't matter anymore."

"You make a good point." I agreed, smirking. "But if he thinks that we won't figure out some way to tease him about this, either by text or video chat, then he's sadly mistaken."

"I know." Katherine laughed lightly. "But try tellin' that to 'im."

"God, can we please get off the girl talk?" Spin complained.

"Yeah!" Bob agreed. "It's not fair to me since my woman's leaving me."

We all exchanged looks, debating whether or not to remind Bob that Bree wasn't his woman, nor did she particularly like him all that much. We silently agreed against telling him – after all, we were only here for the day, and then it would be months before Bree and Bob would see each other again.

"Oh, by the way," I suddenly remembered something. I turned to Taylor, smiling. "Before I uninstalled MISS, I had her download a voice control option for the consol, that way you can use it when I'm gone."

"I'll be on missions." Taylor pointed out, sounding a little defensive. I knew she was worried about not being put on a team because of her disability, though I knew for a fact that Leo was going to pair her with Kieran and Logan for missions.

"I know." I agreed. "But since I won't be here, I need someone responsible to handle the consol, so I'm having it set to recognize your, Kieran, and Rio's voices, since you guys were the most advanced students. I don't want one of the less responsible students messing with my tech. And you don't have to use it – I just want you to be able to use it if need be."

"Oh, alright." She nodded thoughtfully. "Thanks."

"Wait, you're taking away MISS?" Spin realized.

"That's not fair – why do you get an AI and we don't?" Daniel protested. I looked at him.

"Yes, I'm taking MISS, since she's my AI security system that I designed." I pointed out. "I'm taking her with me to the new team. But don't worry – you'll have Eddy."

There was a collective groan at the sound of his name, though Daniel seemed mostly confused. "Wait, who's Eddy?"

We all looked at him before realizing that he'd never met the AI before. "Oh, bless your heart." Katherine sighed gently. I laughed.

"Oh, you'll find out. Have fun." I told him, my sarcasm going straight over his head.

"…Thanks?" He still seemed pretty confused, much to my amusement. He'd find out why we were reacting like this soon enough. I stood up, placing my hands on the table.

"Look, I gotta go pack. I just wanted to say goodbye." I told them. Kieran stood up first, pulling me into a hug. I hugged him back tightly, knowing I would miss him a lot. He'd been there for me right when my life had changed drastically because of the video Taylor had posted, and he'd always been so loyal.

"I'll miss you C-Cat." He whispered. I laughed at the stupid nickname, pulling away.

"You too, K-Dog. You were always my favorite student." I admitted. The others looked at me.

"Hey!" They protested, offended.

"I'm not a mentor anymore – I'm allowed to say things like that!" I argued, laughing as I hugged Rio, then Katherine, Logan, Bob, Taylor, Spin, and Daniel.

"It's going to be weird without you guys here." Logan commented. I nodded.

"You guys all have my number, right?" I confirmed. They all nodded, except Daniel. I quickly wrote it down for him. "Call me whenever. If there's an emergency, if you've got a question, or if you just want to talk. I'm always here if you guys need me."

"Except you won't be here." Spin pointed out. I held up my latest invention – a high tech watch that had a few fun apps I was excited to try out.

"This will let me geo-leap anywhere in the world. I'm only going to be a phone call away." I promised them. "This won't be the last time we see each other."

"It better not be." Taylor agreed. I smirked.

"I promise." I agreed before nodding and walking away, my bag in hand, heading for my bedroom to finish packing.

** Chase's POV **

"So, you know where you're going?" Adam questioned, watching me from where he was sitting on the couch. I was busy packing my stuff, wanting to get the most important stuff first. I knew the girls weren't too interested in packing their stuff away – they had too many people they wanted to say goodbye to – but I knew that if I didn't get this done now, I wouldn't get the chance to later.

"Uh, no. Mr. Davenport won't tell us anything yet." I replied. "All we know is that he had to set a bunch of things up."

"Like what?" Adam sounded confused. I glanced at him before looking back at my computer. I wasn't going to bother bring the whole hard drive, just the files I needed, so I was downloading them onto a couple of memory sticks.

"Uh, transportation for the rest of our new team, since they apparently don't live near where our new headquarters is supposed to be, as well as a few work details, since he plans on staying with us." I shrugged. "He's probably just finding someone to head the Mission Creek office for him while he's gone."

"He's leaving?" Adam was as surprised as we were when we first heard. "I thought he'd stay in Mission Creek because of Tasha and the baby."

"So did we." I agreed. "But apparently, this is a matter of life or death. I don't know, but it must be important because Tasha agreed with him."

"Maybe she just doesn't want him around to turn the baby bionic. Though, I still think that would be WAY more fun." He commented. I chuckled, amused at the thought of a baby with bionics. Wouldn't that be the day?

"It's still strange, if you ask me." I replied, moving a few files on the desktop to my memory sticks. "But I'm sure he'll come back home when the third trimester begins."

"Probably." Adam shrugged. "It's going to be fun though. No you, Calla, Bree, or Davenport to tell us what to do."

"The Academy is doomed." I said, almost certain that I was right.

"Please!" Adam scoffed. I looked at him over the monitor.

"We're leaving you, Leo, and Douglas is charge of an island full of bionic teenagers. What could go wrong?" I commented cynically. Adam looked at me, offended.

"You know what I won't miss while you're gone? Your condescending attitude!" He exclaimed in frustration.

"Yeah, well I won't miss having to dumb things down to kindergarten level on every mission." I retorted.

"I won't miss you being such a stuck-up little brat." He snapped.

"I won't miss you using me a punching dummy." I argued. He rolled his eyes.

"I don't use you as a punching dummy all that often." He said defensively. I stared at him incredulously.

"Yes, you do." I insisted. He shrugged.

"Well maybe it would be more fun for you if you stopped being such a baby about it." He muttered.

"No, it wouldn't!" I argued.

"See what I mean? You're totally being a baby about it!" He exclaimed.

"See? This is why I won't miss you." I growled. Adam looked at me, offended.

"Well, I won't miss you either." He argued, looking away. There was a long few moments of tense silence, then he sighed. "Okay, well maybe a little."

And just like that, all the frustration melted away. We argued like this all the time, it had become our thing, but in the end, even we could not deny that we were brothers and that we really would miss each other. And all the things we said we hated – his intelligence, my attitude, the constant fights – those were the things we were going to miss the most, and we both knew it.

"Yeah, me too." I agreed, stepping away from the computer. I pocketed the memory sticks then headed over to my bag. I'd only packed a few essentials – my tablet, my phone and chargers, a picture of me, Calla, Leo, Jaden, Adam, and Bree on our graduation day – but I'd yet to get anything else.

"Want some help?" Adam offered, heading for the closet. I nodded.

"Yeah, could you grab a couple of shirts and pants for me? It doesn't matter which ones, Calla and Bree are dragging me shopping when we get where we're going." I replied before heading over to the small chest that sat in the corner of the room. I opened it up, revealing a bunch of more random items – lesson plans for classes we'd been planning on teaching before the upgrade, several books, spare phone chargers, and a few mementos from our time in Mission Creek. I pulled out a few books, trying to decide which one to get. "Hey, what do you think? Crime and Punishment, or 1984?"

"Whichever one's less boring." Adam replied, tossing me a couple of pairs of jeans before heading back to my shirt drawer.

"I'll take both." I decided, carefully placing the books in the bag. I was in the middle of trying to decide whether or not it would be worth taking the can of Spy Flies – they could prove to be very helpful, even if the girls didn't appreciate them all that much – when Adam suddenly whistled loudly from the closet.

"Chase!" He called, walking out. In his hands was a large brown envelope with the words DO NOT TOUCH in giant black letters. I'd thought I'd hidden it pretty well, but then again, I didn't really think about it before Adam went through my clothes. "An envelope marked secret that's hidden in your shirt drawer? Sounds interesting."

"Give it, Adam!" I insisted, trying to take the envelope from him, but he held it out of my reach. "I'm serious, Adam, give it back!"

"If you're that desperate for it, there must be something good in here." He pulled open the envelope, the magazines inside falling to the ground. He looked at them, then back at me with a raise eyebrow. "Okay?"

"Dude…" I grumbled, quickly cleaning them up before Calla walked in and saw anything. Adam was still looking at me, shaking his head.

"You know, when most guys hide magazines in their rooms, they're usually not jewelry magazines." He commented. "Why do you even have those, anyway?"

I hesitated, then glanced out the door to make sure Calla wasn't anywhere within earshot. Just as a precaution, I closed the door behind me. "Swear you won't say anything? To anyone?"

Adam looked at me for a moment, confused, but nodded all the same. "…Alright, I swear."

I hesitated again, then sighed. "Those aren't normal rings in those magazines. They're engagement rings."

Adam stared at me, absolutely stunned. "I-Wow."

"Yeah…" I trailed off. "So…"

"You bought her a ring." Adam commented. "Congrats."

"I…I haven't bought the ring yet." I admitted. "I've just been shopping around."

"You haven't found one yet?" Adam questioned, helping me clean up the magazines.

"No. I mean, there are some beautiful ones, but none are the one, you know?" I looked at him, wondering. "None are them are perfect for Calla."

"Does she have any idea?" Adam took a seat, placing the envelope on the table. I shook my head.

"No. I've been very careful about it, too. Hell, every time I go ring shopping, I tell her that I'm going to Tech Town." I admitted. "Though, I think she's now convinced that Scott and I are having some sort of affair."

"Well, Bree certainly thinks so." Adam chuckled. "But as far as I know, Calla just thinks that you guys are hanging out, or you're criticizing the new employees on how to do their jobs."

"Well, I do that too, but after I'm done looking around." I shrugged. "I hope I'm going to have better luck finding the perfect ring for her when we get to this new place."

"Yeah, they might have more selection there." Adam admitted, still looking a bit surprise at where this conversation was going. "So, once you find the ring, you're going to propose?"

"That's the plan." I nodded, a little relieved to be able to talk this out with someone. So far, the only person who knew what I was up to was Michael Parker, and it took me a long time to finally get his contact information without tipping Calla off. "But if things are as serious as Mr. Davenport's making it seem, I can't help but wonder if maybe I should wait, like this is the wrong time for this, or-"

"Dude, stop." Adam looked at me. "First of all, if things are as serious as Mr. Davenport says they will be, then maybe this exactly what you need to do. It's not like no one could use the excitement. This is easily the smartest decision you've ever made. And I don't think it's the wrong time – you guys have been in love with each other since you were fifteen."

"We were sixteen when we started going out." I pointed out. He shrugged.

"Doesn't mean the feelings didn't exist before you finally admitted them." He replied. I looked at him. "What? I've got eyes, dude, and I'm not so much of an idiot that I can't see when a girl's clearly interested in someone."

"Right." The only thing Adam was better at than me was understanding girls. I'd forgotten that, actually. "So, you really think this is a good idea?"

"The best." He nodded. "And it's not like we didn't all expect you to propose eventually."

"Thanks." I nodded thoughtfully. He handed the shirts he'd grabbed from the closet, then the envelope.

"Have fun." He replied as I finished packing my bags. "And remember – use protection."

"Dude!" I exclaimed, looking at him. He simply smirked.

"Hey, we don't want another Daven-baby running around the place, do we?" He questioned.

"You…" I shook my head, choosing to ignore his comment. Of course we didn't want that, at least not any time soon, but we didn't need to be reminded to be careful. I shouldered my bag. "I'm done."

"You leaving?" He questioned. I nodded.

"Yeah, Mr. Davenport asked me to come back early so I could help him work a few things out for the flight tomorrow." I replied. Adam got up and held out a hand to me.

"Be careful." He warned. I took his hand, pulling him in for one last hug before we said goodbye.

"Don't get yourself killed while we're gone, alright?" I looked at him. "I'm serious – Rio would freak."

"I promise." He replied, nodding to me. "I'll see you around, Chase."

"I'll see you around." I agreed before walking away for what would be the last time for a long time.

** Calla's POV **

"Alright, so should I bring my Concussion Blaster, or do you think I'll be fine with just my Plasma Gun and Paragun?" I questioned, examining the weapons on my desk.

"Leave the Concussion Blaster. I might need it to keep the others in line." Leo joked from where he was sitting on my bed. I glanced at him over my shoulder and smirked before looking back at my toys.

"Mr. Davenport said to only pack what can't be replaced, since he's going to let us go shopping when we get to wherever it is that we're going, so I'm trying to decide which inventions I should bring." I explained. "Obviously, I can't bring all of them, but since there's a possibility I'm going to be the only one on the team without bionics or other abilities, I need to be prepared."

"Alright, then take the Concussion Blaster." Leo advised. I frowned, trying to think.

"But it's so bulky and big. I can't exactly carry it around with me everywhere I go." I hummed.

"Then leave it here." Leo replied.

"But it's the most powerful weapon I have…" I trailed off.

"Oh my God, how does Chase put up with you?" Leo groaned, lying back on the bed. I laughed lightly.

"Alright, alright. I'll take the Concussion Blaster AND my Paragun, but leave the Plasma Gun." I decided. I heard Leo groan and I laughed, lying down on the bed next to him, hands on my stomach. "Final decision, I promise."

"Liar." He accused. I smirked and leaned my head back into the nicely made bed. I looked at Leo.

"I can't believe we're splitting up." I sighed. He nodded.

"Yeah." He sighed. "It feels so…wrong."

"It's always been us." I agreed. "Since the day you walked through Davenport's front door. Us."

"Even when Adam, Bree, and Chase didn't believe us about Marcus." He nodded. "You and me versus the world."

"Taking down one evil killer android at a time." I murmured. We both laughed at that and I sat up, looking down at him. "It's been a crazy ride, Dooley."

He nodded, chuckling. "Remember that time we followed Marcus into his and Douglas' layer and fought his Decepticon?"

I nodded, smiling at the nickname I gave to the robot. "Or that time we went to save Adam, Bree, and Chase from dying in that particle accelerator?"

"Or when we went with Big D on a mission while Adam, Bree, and Chase were trapped in detention?" Leo grinned.

"Or when we had to babysit Adam, Bree, and Chase after I accidently turned them into little kids?" I giggled at the memory. He laughed too, remembering the good old days.

"And now…" He stopped, his smile turning sad. "We're at the end of the line."

"The chapter's done…and a new one just beginning." I agreed sadly. It really hadn't hit me before, but now reality hit me like a freight train; this really was the end for us. Our childhood's were over, and things were never going to be the same again. No more reckless stunts with Adam, or chemistry debates with Kieran. No more clothing with Rio, or violent video game playing with Spin, or stopping Bob from playing 'Is it Edible?'. No more arguing with my brother, or playing board games and watching movie marathons with Leo. It was all over, just like that. And I didn't think I was ready for it. I looked at him, blinking hard to keep my eyes from getting watery. "I don't want to say goodbye."

"Neither do I." He agreed. "It's stupid, but I always figured that we'd all be working here for the rest of our lives."

I couldn't help but laugh lightly at the concept. "Dido." I nodded. "But I guess we're not kids anymore, Leo. It's time to grow up."

"We haven't been 'kids' since Krane had Taylor post that video." He pointed out, looking at me. I knew he was right; everything had changed for us that day. We had to grow up and be heroes since then.

"Still, don't you wish we still could be?" I glanced at him. "Don't you wish we were back when our biggest problems were keeping Davenport from finding out how we broke one of his inventions?"

"Those were the days." Leo agreed nostalgically. I looked at him for a bit, hating how those days were behind us.

"You will come and visit, right?" I requested from him, my voice soft. "I'll send you the address of wherever Davenport sends us, and you'll come and visit."

"I won't give you any warning." Leo cautioned jokingly.

"That's fine. Show up out of the blue." I agreed. "But don't be surprised if I tackle you to the ground or something."

"I can't wait." He chuckled, sitting up beside me so that our shoulders were touching. "But the same goes for you. Take that Geoleap watch and surprise us whenever you feel like it."

"It's not a Geoleap watch. It has many functions, not just Geo-Leaping." I argued. "But yeah, I'll come visit. After all, where am I going to get burgers as great as Jaden's?"

"Wait, what else does your watch do?" He questioned, tapping it with his fingers. I smiled, holding out my arm so I could examine it. It looked like your every day digital watch (though I did put the initials C.P. on the back so I wouldn't mix it up with any of Chase's or something), except the only one of the eight buttons on the side actually had anything to do with the time.

"Well, so far it only has the Geoleap App, but I've developing a few more for it. The next one will be ready by the end of the month." I replied proudly. Mr. Davenport had ordered me to build an arsenal of tools and weapons for myself, claiming that I would need them for this new project, and I was not about to disappoint. So far, I had several projects in development, including a new weapon and a new way for us to communicate on missions. Not bad for a couple of weeks' worth of work.

"Well, I guess this is it, Parker." Leo hummed. I nodded.

"I suppose it is, Dooley." I looked at him and held out my fist. "Kick ass?"

"Only if you do." He replied, bumping his fist against mine. I looked back at my half-packed duffle bag.

"Hey Leo?" I asked, not taking my eyes off of it.

"Yeah, Calla?"

"I changed my mind. I think I want to take the Plasma Gun with me." I told him. He groaned loudly and fell back into the bed.

** Bree's POV **

"You be careful." I stopped in the doorway, not at all surprised to see Jaden and Calla hanging in the kitchens. Jaden was looking down at his sister, who was obviously trying hard not to smile at his protectiveness. "No going on missions that Chase thinks is too dangerous, no taking stupid risks, no getting yourself killed, no-"

"No talking to strangers, no taking candy from people in white vans with tinted windows, no mixing dangerous chemicals where people prepare food, no insulting people twice my size…" Calla listed, giving her brother an annoyed look. "Jay, these are things you and Mom have been telling me since I was a kid. I know them by now."

"Wait, your parents had to tell you not to insult people twice your size?" I questioned, announcing my presence. Calla laughed lightly.

"Yeah, when I was little, I had a big mouth and no verbal filter." She admitted, picking her bag up off the ground. She looked at me. "I'm heading home early; I can't take anymore emotional goodbyes."

"When you were little?" Jaden chuckled. "Calla, you're like 5'3"! Even Chase is taller than you!"

"Jerk!" She exclaimed, hitting him in the arm. He rolled her eyes.

"Just be safe, okay?" Jaden pulled her into a hug, pressing his lips to his baby sister's forehead. She smiled and pulled away after a moment. "I mean it, CeeCee. Don't get yourself killed or anything."

"I'm going to be okay, Jay." She shouldered her bag and walked past me. "See you both later."

"See you tonight." I called after her. She paused for a moment, then continued on. I shrugged and turned back to Jaden, holding out her hand. "Check out the Geoleap Bracelet."

"Did you add charms to it?" Jaden chuckled, examining the silver letter B, the pink heart, and my personal favorite, the set of silver Borromean rings. Jaden looked at them closely, his fingers tracing the three silver rings that were intertwined. "You have the Davenport Industries symbol as a charm?"

"Yeah. It's kinda…a reminder." I replied, smiling softly. "Mr. Davenport used to say that they represented Adam, Chase, and I, and how, if one ring was taken away, the other two would no longer be properly connected. It's sappy, I know…"

"No." He shook his head. "It's a reminder that you're always going to be a team, that nothing and no one can separate you guys." He looked at me. "It's sweet."

"I'm glad you think so." I replied, looking at him happily. "But more importantly, I'm glad that your sister finally found the Geoleap Bracelet. Now, I can come and see you whenever I want."

"Good." Jaden grinned. He reached down suddenly, lifting me off my feet. Giggling happily, I wrapped my legs around his waist, and put my hands on his shoulders as he backed me into a wall for extra support. "Because I am going to miss you."

"It still sucks that you're staying." I mentioned. He shrugged one shoulder.

"Like I said before, I'm needed here." He mentioned.

"Katherine can cook for the Academy, or at the very least, teach everyone else to cook for themselves!" I protested. He smiled softly.

"True, but I also belong here. I've always lived in California. I love the beach, I love the water…from the sounds of it, Mr. D's sending you all far away?" He asked. I nodded. "I can't leave my home behind, Bree. I've got my mom, and my job, and as much as I love you, I can't give all of this up. Not yet."

"I understand, and I'm glad that you know what's important to you." I told him, truly meaning it. It wouldn't be right for Jaden to give up his entire life for me, and the fact that he was willing to tell me 'no, I'm not giving this up' meant that he was confident enough in the strength of our relationship that he knew that we'd find a way to make it work. And we would make it work. I knew we would. "And, besides, we're leaving Adam and Leo in charge."

"They'd blow up the place the moment Mr. D and Dougy were gone." He agreed, chuckling. He adjusted his grip on my legs, looking at me. "Hey."

"What?" I asked, smiling in confusion. He was looking at me, his expression serious, but happy, and his eyes full of emotion.

"I love you, you know that, right?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Of course. I love you too, Jaden." I assured him. He smiled gently.

"Good. Just wanted to hear you say that before you go." He said. "Might be the last time we get to say it, face to face, for a while."

"You know…" I looked over his shoulder, making sure that none of the students were lurking or anything. "There's no adults on the island, and your bedroom isn't that far from the kitchen…"

"It'd be a shame to let this opportunity go to waste…" Jaden followed my line of thinking, already carrying me out of the room. I held onto his tightly, smiling brightly. If this was going to be our last day together for a while, I was glad that it was a good one.

** Calla's POV **

"Calla…Calla…" I rolled over in bed, the beginning of a complaint on my lips. Though I refused to open my eyes, I felt Chase's hands slip around my waist. I rolled over again, my head resting on his bare chest. "It's time to get up."

"No. Too early." I protested, screwing my eyes shut even tighter. Mr. Davenport was letting me stay in the guest room overnight since we were supposed to be leaving in the morning, and Chase and I had taken full advantage of the opportunity. But now it was morning, and all the fun of the night before had faded away, buried under the exhaustion that came with mornings. "What time is it?"

"Seven o'clock." He murmured, his voice soft in my ears. I groaned.

"In the morning?" I exclaimed. "No, no…goin' back to sleep."

"We have a plane to catch." He reminded me.

"It's a private jet – it can wait for us." I insisted, refusing to get up. Chase's chase rumbled as he laughed again.

"C'mon." He rubbed my back gently. "You get dressed, and when you come out, there will be a steaming cup of coffee waiting for you."

Well, that didn't seem like THAT bad an idea. "Cappuccino?" I asked hopefully, raising my head slightly, but not yet opening my eyes.

"Yes, I can get you a cappuccino." He promised. I rolled over so I was no longer lying on him, and opened my eyes tiredly.

"I hate mornings." I complained, looking up at him. He smiled.

"I know you do." He assured me, pulling on a pair of pants and a t-shirt before heading out of the room. I sighed and got out of bed, quickly pulling on my old panda t-shirt (one of my favorites) and a pair of jeans. By time I came out, Chase had indeed made me a cappuccino (French vanilla too!), along with a toasted bagel.

"I love you." I smiled sweetly at him, kissing him as he handed me my breakfast. He smirked.

"I know." He replied, grabbing his own breakfast.

"Wow, Calla was actually up before me." Bree commented, walking into the kitchen. "There's a first for everything, I guess."

"He bribed me with coffee." I explained, holding up the mug.

"Ah." Bree nodded in understanding, heading behind the kitchen counter. "So, anyone know anything about this secret mission, or is Davenport still being tight-lipped about it?"

"Wouldn't tell me anything." I replied, sipping at my drink.

"Nope, nothing." Chase agreed, leaning on the counter next to me. "Speaking of whom, where is Mr. Davenport?"

"Yeah." I looked around, a little peeved at his lack of appearance. "He insists that we have to get up at this ungodly hour, then doesn't bother showing up?"

"Ungodly hour? Calla, what time do you think is a good time to get up at?" Mr. Davenport questioned, walking in from outside.

"Ten." I told him, dead serious. He chuckled.

"Alright, you guys ready to go?" He asked. We all nodded. "Alright, the private jet's ready to go. I want to leave right away."

"I'll grab our bags." Chase told me. I nodded and took his coffee from him. While he grabbed our stuff, I put the drinks into travel mugs, not ready to give up the one thing that would wake me up. I headed out to the jet, climbing on with Bree not far behind me.

"Thank you." Chase smiled at me, taking his seat next to me. I smiled at him, then laid my head on his shoulder.

"Tired." I complained. He chuckled.

"You're adorable." He told me. I nodded.

"Damn straight." I agreed, much to his amusement. "So, a new adventure awaits."

"And a new team." Chase agreed. "And a new mission."

"Shoulder be interesting." I commented.

"Could be dangerous." Chase reminded me.

"Can't wait." I smirked.

"You're insane." He muttered shaking his head. I looked at him, feigning confusion.

"I thought I was adorable." I said, blinking at him. He laughed lightly before planting a kiss on the top of my head.

"I love you." He murmured gently, his words sincere. I smiled.

"I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bree, Chase, and Calla will return in The Power of Seven: The New Mission.  
> They will be joined by Dani, Oliver, Skylar, and Kaz, the heroes of The Days of Our Lives: Heroes.


End file.
